Review by Amelia
Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review
Following its hugely successful run in the West End, Paranormal Activity is currently touring the UK, bringing the supernatural horror from screen to stage. Based on the hugely popular 2007 film, this stage adaptation takes the story of an ordinary couple whose lives begin to unravel when they become convinced that something paranormal is haunting their home, and turns it into an incredibly atmospheric and gripping piece of live theatre. As someone who has never actually seen the film, I was slightly worried that the script might be reliant on the source material, but there wasn’t anything that I felt I had missed or didn’t fully grasp the context of. In fact, I think it works brilliantly as a standalone piece, meaning you don’t need any prior knowledge of the film to get completely swept up in the story.
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| Photo by Johan Persson. |
The set is amazing and the use of lighting is so effective. It makes the house feel like a lived-in environment, with ambulance lights and headlights from cars coming through the windows and so many little details that make you feel like you’re actually inside this home with the characters. There’s nothing I love more than a set that works as a proper environment rather than simply feeling like a backdrop, and this production does that incredibly well.
James Bye is really convincing as James, once I got over the fact that Martin Fowler is American! He plays the role with such conviction and takes us on a brilliant journey as his character goes from not believing Lou’s experiences to witnessing and experiencing all of the craziness for himself. Hannah Sinclair Robinson is equally as excellent as Lou, really playing into the sheer terror that her character feels. I particularly liked that her performance never bordered on the stereotypical ‘crazy’ horror character, instead giving us enough to empathise with James before he begins to see the same things happening too.
Jo Castleton and Caroline Faber both work really well as Dr Etheline Cotgrave and James’ mum respectively. The performances across the board are so strong that our reality and beliefs shift so much throughout the play, leaving us constantly questioning what is actually real and what isn’t. That feeling of uncertainty is one of the production’s biggest strengths.
The storyline is really gripping and doesn’t take too long to get started, whilst still allowing us enough time to get to know the characters and feel connected to them before everything begins to unravel. I think the script is really well written too. It would be so easy for a horror like this to fall into the usual tropes and stereotypes, but I found the writing to feel fresh and interesting, which kept me invested throughout.
I also think the layout of the piece holds the audience really well. We’re given enough time between the scares to feel comfortable again, which ultimately allows them to have even more impact. There’s nothing worse than constantly waiting for the next jump scare, but here, the production understands that sometimes it’s the anticipation that is just as frightening as the scare itself. I did manage to figure out one of the jump scares before it happened, but I think that was more down to my knowledge of theatre sets than any sense of predictability!
The score and music are another highlight, giving us that much-needed suspense whilst also quietly underscoring certain moments and letting us know that we should be on edge. Again, I think it would be very easy to use music in the same way as any other horror, but I found this score to be exciting, scary and somehow inviting all at the same time. It adds another layer to the atmosphere without taking away from what is happening on stage.
What I particularly loved is how the production plays with the audience’s perception of reality. Just when things start to make sense, something shifts again, leaving us questioning everything we have just seen. As the storyline begins to come together, everything comes together in truly immense fashion, making for a gripping and atmospheric piece of theatre that had me questioning what I could actually believe.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Paranormal Activity is currently scheduled through to June 2027, finishing its run at the Leicester Curve Theatre. With more than 9 months left to catch this tour, you’d be paranormal not to book your tickets!
Paranormal Activity runs at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 19th September 2026. For tickets, visit https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/paranormal-activity/milton-keynes-theatre/
For full tour dates and booking details, visit https://paranormalonstage.com/uk-ireland-tour/
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| Photo by Johan Persson |
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