Scariest night of the year?

Ambassadors Theatre

An American couple, played by Patrick Heusinger and Melissa James, move to London in an original story inspired by the Paranormal Activity film franchise. With a couple of exceptions, the critics found the play, directed by Punchdrunk’s Felix Barrett, written by Levi Holloway, and designed by Fly Davis, a scary experience.

Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

5 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

The anonymous critic at London Theatre Reviews reported that they ‘left nearly two hours later, shaken, having experienced one of the most visceral, adrenaline-fueled pieces of theatre of the year (…) It’s scary, it’s clever, and it is undoubtedly the wildest ride in London right now.’

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

Kate Wyver for The Guardian began: ‘By treating horror as an art form rather than a cheap set of jump scares, this thrilling new show…proves how jaw-clenchingly, arm-clutchingly frightening horror on stage can be (…) But what is remarkable, thanks to Chris Fisher’s eye-popping illusions, is how that terror is accompanied by a giddy, awe-filled delight at the devilry we just witnessed – and how the hell they made it work.’

Tim Wicker in The Stage described how ‘Anna Watson’s lighting turns the domestic detail of Fly Davis’s split-level set into a place of moving shadows. Blackouts accompanied by the deafening pitch of Gareth Fry’s sound design all serve to keep us perpetually on edge’. He announced: ‘When the supernatural is finally unleashed on us, it’s spectacularly handled by illusionist Chris Fisher. The set pieces have you jumping in your seat, but they’re never cheap scares. They are impressively accomplished and always tightly woven into the story, from a scary bait-and-switch to subtler but no less nerve-shredding moments of dread. It’s a truly terrifying experience.’

Time Out‘s Andrzej Lukowski pointed out: ‘It’s not the only consideration, but judgement does essentially boil down to one main question: is it scary? To which the answer here is a frazzled ‘oh my, yes’.’ He was pleased that ‘on the whole it avoids manipulative jump scares in favour of unnerving moments of rug pulling, where what you assumed was happening in a scene is revealed to be horrifyingly off the mark. And the creepy atmosphere stuff is second to none’. He concluded: ‘Paranormal Activity is about as good as stage horror gets.’

The Standard‘s Nick Curtis  found: ‘Barrett uses the full armoury of stage frights, from crash blackouts and sudden blaring rock music, to jump scares wrought through sound and lighting effects, to put the willies up us. He also has a superlative talent for misdirection. Though the techniques are familiar, it doesn’t make them any less electrifying.’ The cast were good too: ‘James gives a strong performance as the withdrawn and troubled Lou, and Heusinger is equally good as the mansplaining Jamie, whose cocksure self-confidence is slowly eroded.’

Rachel Halliburton for The Times liked it: ‘Where the scariest moments of the film lie in recorded footage, here Barrett leans fully into the live experience, and it pays off. Fly Davis’s meticulously observed two-storey set stands before us like an open doll’s house, letting us see each room — though as any good director knows, it’s what remains hidden that is most powerful.’

Rachel Agyekum for WhatsOnStage praised the actors: ‘The cast of four, led by Patrick Heusinger and Melissa James, deliver strong performances…Together, they express complex characters and their chemistry as a couple is believable.’

The Telegraph sent their film critic Tim Robey. He wasn’t disappointed by the switch from celluoid to stage: ‘The play tells a new story set in London, but reworks the original premise of a young American couple unsettled at home by things going bump in the night.’ Calling it ‘a spook-a-thon mounted with devious technical finesse,’ he said: ‘Surrounded by gasps, nervous giggles, and people jerking back in their seats, you won’t know what’s coming next.’

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

Matt Wolf writing for LondonTheatre managed to stay calm: ‘The horror play franchise has had an uptick of late, from the return of Ghost Stories at the Peacock Theatre to the multiple roll-outs of 2:22 A Ghost Story. So it’s not entirely this production’s fault if some of the tricks up its sleeve seem mighty familiar by now. Isn’t it de rigueur for this sort of material to somewhere or other fold wonky electrics, sudden musical swells and rattling radiators or the like into the mix?’

2 stars ⭑⭑

Franco Milazzo at BroadwayWorld was left unmoved. : ‘Two stars feels about right here: one for the occasional inspired rug-pull, and one for reminding us that sometimes the scariest thing in theatre is wasted potential.’

Critics’ average rating 3.8⭑

Value rating 43 (Value Rating is a combination of the critics’ rating and the typical ticket price)

Paranormal Activity can be seen at the Ambassadors Theatre until 25 April and will return from 8 August to 3 October 2026. Buy tickets directly using this link

If you have seen Paranormal Acticity at the Ambassadors Theatre, please leave your review and/or rating below