The Inbetweeners’ James Buckley to appear in ‘2:22 A Ghost Story’ on London’s West End

23 April, 2024

James Buckley

The Inbetweeners‘ James Buckley will be returning to 2:22: A Ghost Story when it returns to London’s West End next month.

The actor, who played Jay Cartwright in the hit comedy series, will reprise the role of Ben opposite Stacey Dooley, who will be making her West End debut as Jenny. The play made its debut in the West End in 2021 and has enjoyed various successful runs in different theatres since then, while also being taken on tour throughout the UK.

Buckley will appear in the play from May 25 to August 4 at London’s Gielgud Theatre as part of the show’s seventh West End season. The rest of the cast is yet to be announced.

“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,” Buckley said in a press release. “It will be great to be play Ben again and now all I need to do is make sure I remember the lines. Can’t wait to see everyone there.”

In September, Buckley explained why he believed The Inbetweeners could never make a comeback. 

The actor, who played Jay Cartwright in the Channel 4 sitcom and its two film adaptations, told the Daily Mail that the characters wouldn’t be able to realistically behave the same way as they did in the original show.

“It was all justified because they were never the heroes,” Buckley said, referring to the antics of the sixth-former friendship group (via Lad Bible). “They were idiots and they got what they deserved.”

He continued: “That’s why it can’t come back – you can’t have men in their late thirties acting like they’re in sixth form and getting away with that stuff.

“I always get asked if I’d ever do more [episodes] and I said, ‘for no amount of money’ and that quote got run away.”

Buckley added: “I didn’t mean about money – it means more to me than money.”

Buckley later recalled how he almost lost out on the role of Jay because of his agent telling him they were recasting.

“I got in touch with Damon Beasley, one of the co-creators of The Inbetweeners, and I said, ‘I heard that that is going ahead, congratulations,” he said. “And I know you guys are recasting, but if there’s another part, I’d love to come in and do a job for you’.

“He replied saying, ‘No, we want you to be Jay. Did your agent not tell you this? We need to see you tomorrow to talk to you about this and we’re going to audition a load of other kids at the time’.”

“If I’d never have sent that message and sort of hustled a little bit, I would’ve never turned up to the meeting the following day.”

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