CLAUDIA CONNELL checks out Cheryl's theatre debut in 2:22 A Ghost Story trends now
2:22 A Ghost Story
Criterion Theatre, London
Rating: 
When the house lights go down, there are wild shrieks and screams from the audience. I doubt they get much of this sort of behaviour at the Royal Shakespeare Company – but we are in the presence of pop royalty, for goodness sake.
Cheryl Cole’s theatrical debut in the play 2:22 A Ghost Story is her first public performance for over two years. Save for the odd Instagram photo to plug the wellness brand she endorses, she’s been a positive recluse.
The first scene shows an open-plan living area and Cheryl, in jeans, up a step ladder painting and taking swigs from a glass of red wine. She descends, cleans her paint brushes and steps on a child’s toy. She screams convincingly in pain and frustration – but before she actually steps on the toy. Bless!
Cheryl is palpably – but understandably – nervous. It’s a big moment for the girl who, in 2002, found fame as 19-year-old Cheryl Tweedy from Newcastle upon Tyne on reality TV show Popstars: The Rivals.
CLAUDIA CONNELL: Cheryl Cole’s theatrical debut in the play 2:22 A Ghost Story is her first public performance for over two years
She made it through to be selected as a member of Girls Aloud, which went on to become the UK’s biggest-selling girl group of the 21st century.
During the Noughties she was one of the most fascinating celebrities in the country. Not even her infamous 2003 conviction for assaulting a lavatory attendant in a nightclub or two messy divorces could halt her rise to stardom.
As a judge on The X Factor, Cheryl dipped in and out of the show for nine years. With her gorgeous Geordie accent and anguished face, moved to tears by whoever was singing I Will Always Love You that week, she became a national treasure. Funnily enough, it’s the same face she’s pulling on the promotional posters and billboards for 2:22 A Ghost Story.
After Girls Aloud broke up, she went on to have five number one solo singles but it’s been nine years since she released an album and nearly four since her last single Let You peaked at a lowly 57 in the UK singles chart.
So now, Cheryl, who turns 40 in June and goes by her first name, has reinvented herself.
In 2:22 A Ghost Story she plays Jenny, a neurotic 30-something mum who is convinced the new house she’s moved into with her incredibly unlikeable husband, Sam, is haunted.
The slick, supernatural thriller, written by Danny Robins, received good reviews when it opened in August 2021. From day one the production has relied heavily on what’s known as stunt casting – where a celebrity, often with little or no acting experience, is given a role in order to sell tickets. Now, it’s Cheryl’s turn and she’s rumoured to be earning up to £750,000 for her three-month run.
The first person cast as Jenny was pop singer Lily Allen, followed by I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! winner Giovanna Fletcher and, most recently, ex-Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore.
