"I am open! I guess a classic journalist – I love questioning" Laura Whitmore tells me on whether or not she believes in ghosts.

It's a strange thing to be asking the former Love Island presenter, true crime podcaster and media personality. Then again, maybe it isn't.

Sitting in the star's dressing room in the 3Olympia, it'd be difficult to miss the legacy of artists and performers who have found themselves on stage here, with black and white photos of Bono and David Bowie adorning the walls, and vintage bulbs perforating the mirrors. It's the perfect setting for a delicious ghost story.

Questions regarding spirits, beliefs, gentrification, and the supernatural are all fair game as we discuss Laura's latest endeavour 2:22 - A Ghost Story, which sees Whitmore treading the boards at the 3Olympia Theatre until August 11.

Written by the Battersea Poltergeist and Uncanny podcaster Danny Robins, 2:22 has smashed box office records, kicking off in summer 2021.

Whitmore previously performed in the West End iteration of 2:22, before being part of the cast charged with bringing it over to Dublin.

"I played Jenny in the West End," Laura explains.

"Jenny was a new mom and I had just had a child recently. I think that Jenny is very protective of her child, but is also really strong – she’s staying in a house that she’s petrified of. So I think I became invested in her and really sorry for her because people were like ‘She’s mad!’ when what she was feeling was genuine.

"Now I am playing Lauren," Whitmore adds, "and Lauren breaks my heart because Lauren drinks too much. On paper has a great life; she has a great job, is quite glam, has her own place, is going out with this sexy builder. But underneath it, she’s not very happy".

Jay McGuiness and Laura Whitmore in 222 at the 3Olympia Theatre, 26 June 2024. Copyright Bailey Shropshire_hotpress.com

It's rare to get the opportunity to play both of the main female characters in a play. She credits Danny Robins.

"He was really supportive of me playing the Lauren role because I really wanted to play Lauren for such a long time.

"I was delighted when they asked me to play Jenny in the West End,"she clarifies, "but a bit of me was like ‘If I do it in Dublin, I really want to play Lauren'."

It's not the only change Robins made for the Dublin run.

"Because it's an Irish audience," Laura says, "both Sam and Lauren are Irish and the other two characters are English. So there’s something new in this production, where you have English versus Irish. It’s really interesting – and it’s another thing Danny has found in this because it’s been done a few times."

Speaking of the Dublin audience, what does Laura make of them?

"Dublin are the best," she says. "Honestly they’re amazing! I can’t believe how many people have been coming, because eight weeks is quite long for an Irish run. Considering the size of our population, and that this theatre is bigger than the theatre I did it in, in the West End.

"They’re quite vocal too," she adds. "On a Friday night, you can hear them jump! I meet quite a lot of people at the stage door. Even walking down Grafton Street, this couple came up to me and they said they had seen the show a few days ago. They wanted to ask me questions about it. It’s one of those things where you still think about it afterwards.

"I mean London isn’t even England," she laughs. "A lot of people who came to it were tourists coming through. So I feel like, here it’s more Irish – and people want to have a conversation afterwards."

These conversations, Whitmore says, are the secret to the success of this play.

"That’s why I love this play," she asserts. "We talk about different things such a the 'ideomotor' effect, which is when you’re doing a seance and a table moves, maybe you’re moving it yourself and you don’t realise you are because it’s put an idea in your head.

"There’s also a thing called the 'white bear' effect, where if someone tells you not to think of a white bear, all you can think of is a white bear. So there’s loads of really interesting things like that."

Laura is open to the idea that there are supernatural explanations to these phenomena too.

"Every single person I have worked with has had something weird happen to them. Or they have seen something. Particularly doing it in the Olympia, which is so old. And so many brilliant people have come through here and passed on. Like in Maureen’s bar. I like to think Maureen is around somewhere."

She qualifies this by saying she's not in the game of summoning spirits.

"I do like to think that there’s something around. Shona who is in the play wants to do a real life séance on stage and I said ‘no fucking chance!’ I don’t want to annoy any spirits. Just in case that there are there!" she says, laughing.

2:22 isn't the only chance you'll have to see Laura Whitmore live this summer, as she brings her podcast Murder They Wrote to Electric Picnic.

Presented with her husband, comedian Iain Sterling, it'll be the first time for the duo to deliver a live show.

"I asked can we do the same day as Kylie but not the same time as Kylie," she says laughing again.

"I love Electric Picnic. My mom is going to come this year because she’s always wanted to go to Electric Picnic. Calvin Harris tipped her over the edge.

" They get massive acts playing there but you might end up in a céili down the forest or see something cool on the Salty Dog Stage, and there’s all these other little things going on". 

"One year, we were backstage at Electric Picnic and I went to the bathroom and when I came back someone was cutting Iain's hair.

"The artist area is quite fancy, because there’s a lot of musicians on tour so they need a haircut. So there was a professional barber there. At the time I was like 'Iain do you want to get your haircut in a field?' But you know what? It’s probably the best haircut he ever had!"

Whitmore has some parting wisdom for fans attending this year's festival. "Maybe be careful who is cutting your hair at Electric Picnic," she offers. "Anyone with a drink in their hand don’t let them near your head!"

• 2:22: A Ghost Story will run in the 3Olympia theatre until August 11 further information and tickets can be bough here.