Strictly star Stacey Dooley will make her West End debut alongside James Buckley in thriller 2:22 A Ghost Story after it was announced Sheridan Smith’s show will finish two months early

Stacey Dooley makes her West End debut as Jenny in the award-winning play 2:22 Ghost Story.

The 37-year-old Strictly Come Dancing star has been announced as the new lead in the hit play, taking over the role of Jenny, previously played by Cheryl and Laura Whitmore.

Stacey said excitedly, “Happy to be involved in the next adaptation of 2:22! Invented! I fell for the piece when I went to see it in 2022.

‘All four characters feel so familiar, which is why the subtle ‘ghost story’ works so brilliantly. I can’t wait to bring Jenny back to life! Let’s go!’

Lily Allen was the first to take on the role of Jenny when the play premiered on the West End in summer 2021. The singer received rave reviews and a nomination for Best Actress at the Olivier Awards.

Stacey will appear alongside Inbetweeners star James Buckley, who takes on the role of Ben

Other notable names to have appeared in the show’s various locations include Stephanie Beatriz, Giovanna Fletcher, Tom Felton, Mandip Gill and Matt Willis.

The play follows Jenny, who believes her new house is haunted, but her husband Sam remains skeptical.

They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and new partner Ben, and decide to stay awake until 2:22 a.m. to discover the truth.

Stacey – who won Strictly in 2018 with her now husband Kevin Clifton – will act alongside Inbetweeners star James Buckley, who takes on the role of Ben.

James added: “I’m so excited to be rejoining the cast of 2.22. It’s such a brilliant play and to be back in such a brilliant theatre.

“It will be great to play against Ben again and all I have to do now is make sure I remember the rules. I can’t wait to see everyone there.”

Written by award-winning writer Danny Robins, creator of the hit BBC podcast The Battersea Poltergeist, and directed by Matthew Dunster and Isabel Marr, 2:22 is an adrenaline-fuelled night where secrets emerge and ghosts may or may not appear.

Stacey is a documentary filmmaker who won Strictly in 2018 with her now husband Kevin Clifton

Lily Allen was the first to take on the role of Jenny when the play premiered on the West End in summer 2021. The singer received critical acclaim and an Olivier nomination

Opening Night now concludes on Saturday May 18 at the Gielgud Theater in London, two months earlier than originally planned on July 27

The film will run for a strictly limited 10-week season at the Gielgud Theater after it was revealed that Sheridan Smith’s West End show Opening Night will end two months earlier than planned due to poor reviews.

Sheridan’s show was plagued with problems, including audience members walking out halfway through and labeling it as ‘boring’, resulting in the running time being shortened by two months.

The show will now end at London’s Gielgud Theater on Saturday, May 18, two months earlier than originally planned on July 27 – as producers blamed the shock decision on a ‘challenging financial landscape’.

Announcing the news earlier this month, the production team said the play “may not have had the life we ​​hoped for.”

This means the show’s current UK and Irish tour will continue until August, meaning 2:22 will take place in Manchester, Dublin and London simultaneously.

Tickets for the new shows go on general sale on April 24.

It comes after documentary filmmaker Stacey admitted she rented an entire trailer to ‘drag’ her husband Kevin Clifton and their daughter, 14 months, across America while filming her new project.

She is back for a new series of Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over USA, in which she meets several special families.

Stacey uploaded a photo of the trailer to Instagram, titled ‘Minnie Winnie’ and wrote: ‘I had to rent a whole trailer and tow it across America.

The change comes after documentary filmmaker Stacey admitted she rented an entire trailer to ‘drag’ her husband Kevin Clifton and daughter, 14 months, across America while filming her new project.

‘I just wasn’t ready to be away from Minnie. Kev had to live here for three weeks and read the same tiger book over and over again. It was chaos, but also so much fun.”

In the series, Stacey stays in the home of a special family for 72 hours, with the last three-part series shot in the US.

Stacey and Kevin have been together since 2019 – the year after they won Strictly Come Dancing.

Stacey gave birth to the couple’s daughter, Minnie, in January 2023.