Paranormal Activity – Ambassadors Theatre

Last Updated on January 9, 2026

Bone-chilling horror that’ll keep you up all night

Felix Barrett had us quaking in our boots with this spooky and claustrophobic tale. Eerie performances, a tight script and ingenious set design combine to create a play that’ll have you second-guessing every creak, judder and thud you hear for the next few months. Not for the faint of heart, Paranormal Activity is no-holds-barred psychological terror, complete with jump scares, blackouts and spooky goings on galore. Scooby-doo has certainly stayed home.

Winding back 19 years to 2007, Paranormal Activity was a low-budget horror film, building upon the success of The Blair Witch Project. Both used found footage as the main medium of the story, using the limitation of a small budget to their advantage. Other similarities included the use of the real names of the actors as the characters and a lack of script, instead, communicating the vibe of the interaction and letting the actors improvise, as well as the employment of viral marketing in order to encourage viewership. From a 7-day shooting schedule and an initial $15,000 budget, after release, Paranormal Activity is thought to be one of the most profitable films of all time, remaking its budget by multiple orders of magnitude.

Since then, the franchise has trundled along with occasional sequels, prequels and spinoffs, none of which have managed to capture the runaway success of the original. While these sequels have elaborated on the background of the characters and concepts of the original film, this play is neither an adaptation nor a sequel. Instead, much like the recent HBO Watchmen series, it remixes the story, keeping the key elements: a young couple in a new house in a new location, mysterious happenings in said house, possession and a technological element. In doing so, you can be confident that you do not need to have seen any of the films to enjoy Paranormal Activity.

The bare bones concept certainly has legs, and this modernised morality play, with the forces of good and evil in the balance, is helmed by celebrated director Felix Barratt. Making a return to the proscenium arch, Barrett has been busy for more than 20 years creating the cutting edge of interactive theatre, including recent forays: The Burnt City, as well as the much celebrated Sleep No More. He hasn’t left all of his interactive theatre tools back in Woolwich, however, Paranormal Activity is filled with the precise lighting and sound design that has become Punchdrunk’s métier. While there is no obvious choreography in this production, to successfully pull off the many surprises of the show, the cast has to be quick on their feet and a well-oiled machine moving across the stage, and they are. The script is provided by Levi Holloway, a Chicago-based playwright who fills the script with contemporary gags tempered by the horror to come. Much is made of the cultural differences as our main couple, Jimmy and Lou struggle to acclimatise to Britain, having moved across the pond. One of the key innovations that the first Paranormal Activity film introduced was the home video static cam filming aspect. In this new version, the audience acts as witness to the horror, viewing a set that wouldn’t be out of place in a light-hearted comedy of manners, complete with double-level dollshouse staging, shabby, lived-in furniture and working plumbing. Of course, all elements of the set, from the tap and stove to the radiators and bookshelves, are ripe for use in spooking out both the play’s hapless victims and the audience.

Patrick Heusinger and Melissa James as Jimmy and Lou are terrific in their main roles. With charisma, these two have taken this production from its debut in Leeds to London and Chicago. Their chemistry is relaxed, and their dialogue is realistic. Heusinger maintains a likability despite Jimmy’s flippancy and fear, while James is pitch-perfect as a terrified wife and when she suffers from sleepwalking. They are joined by Jimmy’s mother, played by Pippa Winslowe, who is possibly even more terrifying than any demon as the overbearing matriarch, her video calls always ringing at the most inopportune moments.

Now to the really important stuff, this play is scary, not initially, they ease you in, but pretty quick, we were hiding behind our hands and shrieking our heads off with the rest of the audience. Much like the best horror movie cinema experiences, there is a little chatter throughout from the audience, mostly in reassurance that the demons and devils on stage won’t be able to get us too. Despite this, the production has the complete ability to silence the audience and bring them together in collective gasps, jumpscares and reveals. The function of the blackouts prevents people from returning to their seats if they leave before the interval, so do keep that in mind also.

There won’t be an end to film adaptations on the West End when audiences are so quick to visit them; Paranormal Activity has already been extended to April. What Paranormal Activity benefits from is a highly talented and diligent team who have created a finessed production that will get you quaking in your boots like nobody’s business.

http://www.paranormalonstage.com

Friday 5 December 2025 – Saturday 25 April 2026

The Ambassadors Theatre
West Street
London
WC2H 9ND

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