I am new to the world of Paranormal Activity, so I can’t comment with authority on whether this stage production is directly based on the original 2007 film, one of its six sequels, or an amalgamation of the franchise as a whole. What I can say is that the theatrical experience at the Ambassadors Theatre stands confidently on its own. Oren Peli is credited as the Original Writer and Director, with Levi Holloway as Writer, and Felix Barrett as the Director, and the result feels carefully considered rather than simply capitalising on a recognisable title.
Suspense is established immediately. As soon as the production begins, the audience is plunged into complete darkness while a voiceover starts to play. These moments of darkness continue throughout the show during scene transitions. They are held just long enough to build genuine unease, without feeling like traditional blackouts. A polite note to audience members: this is not the moment to check the time on a bright phone screen. Smartwatches should also be put into theatre mode, as even the smallest glow becomes incredibly distracting and detracts from the director’s intention. The darkness is doing a lot of the storytelling here.
As the show develops, the opening voiceover cleverly transforms into an onstage radio programme. Gareth Fry’s sound design makes this transition seamless; it is a genuinely impressive piece of technical theatre, shifting tone and direction so smoothly that you wouldn’t notice it happening. Throughout the production, long, droning, suspenseful underscoring sits beneath the action, while other sounds arrive sharply and loudly to heighten the shock factor. The soundscape is relentless and highly effective.
There are screens mounted on either side of the auditorium, just out of my direct line of sight unless I turned to look at them. When I did, they offered an alternative viewpoint, echoing the feel of the original film’s trailer and adding that voyeuristic atmosphere. They also serve a practical purpose: the set is double-layered, and some sightlines may be restricted, so the screens help ensure nothing crucial is missed.
The set, designed by Fly Davis, depicts the interior of a house: kitchen, living room, staircase, and three upper rooms, including a bathroom. One particular moment involving a character using the toilet and a prosthetic drew much amusement from the audience. The space feels lived-in and cluttered, with detail everywhere, deliberately encouraging you to look, scan, and question what you’re seeing. My only minor critique is that an old-fashioned radiator would surely sit beneath a window, rather than off to one side. That aside, I loved the moment when torchlight filters through the banister rails, animating the set and bringing it eerily to life.
Chris Fisher’s illusion design deserves special praise. I won’t give anything away, but there are several moments that visibly stunned the audience. In a world increasingly dominated by AI and CGI, it is thrilling to see something so palpably ‘paranormal’ achieved live on stage.
After the interval, there is a moment involving a ‘shadow’ that was both slightly annoying and oddly magical. A wave of whispered ‘shadow’ rippled through the audience as people tried to alert their companions. It was a shared, collective reaction that perfectly captured the communal thrill of live theatre.
The cast are phenomenal. Patrick Heusinger as James, and Melissa James as Lou, are on stage for almost the entire show, charting their characters’ emotional and psychological deterioration with impressive stamina and control. Jackie Morrison’s Etheline Cotgrave, the medium and ghost-hunter figure, injects welcome humour, cleverly offsetting the tension while working beautifully with Fisher’s illusions. Pippa Winslow’s Carolanne, James’s mother, is everything you expect from a Christian American mother within this genre, grounding the supernatural with familiar tropes.
Latecomers are rightly not admitted, and those lingering in the bar should make sure they return to their seats in good time. The use of torches by staff, though necessary, can momentarily spoil the atmosphere. For a brief second, I even thought the characters were making an entrance through the auditorium.
This is an intense, unsettling, and technically accomplished piece of theatre that fully understands how to frighten an audience without relying on cheap tricks.
Paranormal Activity runs at Ambassadors Theatre until 28 March 2026.
Book tickets now at paranormalonstage.com
Words by Valentine Gale-Sides
Photos by Johan Persson
