Paranormal Activity: a New Story Live on Stage (West-End Review)

If you, like me, have watched so many horror movies that nothing gets under your skin anymore (in the way that us horror fans yearn for) I may have a solution for you: immersive live theatre. For those of you who aren't a nerdy theatre kind like me: hear me out. 

Paranormal Activity (2007) was released when I was 15 years old. My parents were extremely strict when it came to what my siblings and I were and were not allowed to watch (Horror? Absolutely not. Cuss words? Fucking forget it. SEX?! Always fast forwarded through [with our eyes shielded]). So when my friend Ethan invited me over to watch Paranormal Activity with a group of friends I. Was. Titillated. And it was totally worth the potential of parental ramifications for seeking out elicit content behind their backs. Paranormal Activity got under my skin to the point that for months I was terrified to walk from my bedroom to the bathroom if the lights were not on. 

Earlier in 2007, I had been introduced to the horror genre by my friend Mary via arguably the scariest movie ever made, Black Christmas (1974). Filmed in and around Toronto, Black Christmas remains my favourite movie of all time. The terror I felt that night, surrounded by the comfort of my friend’s home (picture wooden ducks on the wall and a big green 1990s couch filled with a bunch of nervously-excited teenagers holding hands in the dark) made horror immediately become my favourite genre to the point where I basically made analyzing horror my entire academic career. 

What I love about horror is how it affects our brains positively (for those of us who enjoy it at least); A 2009 study showed that the part of our brain that lights up when we watch horror movies isn’t the amygdala (the fight-or-flight centre) as scientists had assumed, but rather the visual cortex, insular cortex, and prefrontal cortex. These sections help us with processing visual information, self-awareness, and problem solving. Essentially, we know we are safe when we turn on a horror flick but we allow ourselves to be self-tricked into thinking we are not…for fun. Our brains end up flooding our bodies with endorphins when watching horror films, which actually reduces our stress levels. Now, for those of us who watch a lot of horror, we tend to get tricked less and less over time (this is purely anecdotal evidence but if someone would like to study my brain or fund my own research project please get in touch).

After decades of horror film watching and analysis, the last film that even remotely got under my skin was Barbarian (2022) and before that was Mike Flanagan’s 2018 series The Haunting of Hill House (the bent-neck lady lives rent free in my head).

This brings us to Paranormal Activity: a New Story Live on Stage currently playing in various cities around the world, which I was able to catch in London. When I tell you I had the worst seat in the house (obstructed view; couldn’t see about 40% of the stage; ended up sitting in the aisle on some stairs higher up beside some kind strangers who were more concerned about me having a good time than they were fire code bylaws) and I still had the most fun and terrifying 2 hours and 20 minutes of my life, I am not exaggerating. 

This show had the audience gasping in awe and fear of what we were witnessing in front of our eyes. The acting between leads Patrick Heusinger and Melissa James is phenomenal and the performers weave a tale about the intersections of mental health and horror in a way that is crafted with care. Hats off to the incredible stage direction by Felix Barrett who worked closely with many departments to make live visual illusions come to life on stage namely, professional illusionists Chris Fischer and Spooky Nyman. There are moments in this show that I still can’t figure out how they pulled off.

But I’m not going to spoil them– you’ll have to go see for yourselves!

London fans you have until 25 April to catch Paranormal Activity live on stage but fear not, it will be returning to London with a well-deserved extended run from 8 August - 3 October, 2026 at Ambassadors Theatre (allegedly London's most haunted theatre). The show will also be going on tour! For UK and Ireland dwellers you can catch the show in various cities beginning on 7 September. The show will be crossing the pond and miracle of miracles will be coming to my hometown in Toronto between 9 June - 5 July 2026. Rest assured I will absolutely be catching it again, this perhaps coughing up a few extra dollars for an unobstructed view and I hope to see you there.