Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live on Stage - Review
With the tag line of “Places aren’t haunted, people are,” Paranormal Activity has landed on the West End Stage following its debut season in Leeds. We understand there have been some changes to the ending in this transfer, but we went in blindly not knowing what to expect. And to be honest that is the best way to experience it.
Playwright Levi Holloway has specifically asked reviewers to keep the secrets as much as possible, so we will just say that this play follows a young couple who have moved from Chicago to London to potentially get away from some “troubling” experiences back home. This is where the Paranormal Activity branding plays in, as you are left to assume that what happened back in Chicago was similar to what the couple in Oren Peli’s movie experienced.
Of course, the unusual events aren’t over, and what then follows is a very tense 2 hours of stage noises, sudden events and some actually jaw dropping illusion effects, as the young couple start to unwind and secrets slowly get revealed.
What helps is the incredible set design for the show which shows an effective cross section of the house, so even sometimes when you are watching the action in one room, your eyes can’t help but flick into the darkness in the other rooms expecting something to suddenly happen. This is similar in the way the movie played out at the cinema as the fixed cameras and CCTV footage meant you always had to watch every inch of the screen just in case you missed something.
The play is mostly a 2 hander with James (Patrick Heusinger) and Lou (Melissa James) filling the stage for the duration. Both leads are utterly compelling to watch and are sometimes joined (mostly via Zoom) by Chris’ overbearing mother and one other supporting character.
The sound and lighting throughout the show is a star in its own right. Yes there are loud noises and sound effects throughout, but when the auditorium and stage go dark – it REALLY goes dark! These long periods sat in total darkness are just as unnerving as some of the things we witness when the lights are on.
And these are the things we can’t talk about – the scares and tricks are pure theatrical magic and work so much better for seeing them live. Each one elicited gasps or screams from a very attentive audience, who were clearly enjoying the show throughout.
Although it is a little slow to start with, the show does a great job of building up the tension throughout and gives the audience enough jumps and scares to release the pressure only for it to start to build up once again. Unlike another recent horror show, 2.22, the scares in Paranormal Activity are part of the show and story – not just a gimmicky loud scream at each scene change!
Director Felix Barrett (creative director of Punchdrunk) has genuinely pulled together a masterpiece of theatre, combining natural performances, technical marvels and a truly genuinely interesting storyline that pulls it all together. Although different from the original move – there is enough here to keep any horror fan happy, and we would definitely recommend this show before it closes in March
Playwright Levi Holloway has specifically asked reviewers to keep the secrets as much as possible, so we will just say that this play follows a young couple who have moved from Chicago to London to potentially get away from some “troubling” experiences back home. This is where the Paranormal Activity branding plays in, as you are left to assume that what happened back in Chicago was similar to what the couple in Oren Peli’s movie experienced.
Of course, the unusual events aren’t over, and what then follows is a very tense 2 hours of stage noises, sudden events and some actually jaw dropping illusion effects, as the young couple start to unwind and secrets slowly get revealed.
What helps is the incredible set design for the show which shows an effective cross section of the house, so even sometimes when you are watching the action in one room, your eyes can’t help but flick into the darkness in the other rooms expecting something to suddenly happen. This is similar in the way the movie played out at the cinema as the fixed cameras and CCTV footage meant you always had to watch every inch of the screen just in case you missed something.
The play is mostly a 2 hander with James (Patrick Heusinger) and Lou (Melissa James) filling the stage for the duration. Both leads are utterly compelling to watch and are sometimes joined (mostly via Zoom) by Chris’ overbearing mother and one other supporting character.
The sound and lighting throughout the show is a star in its own right. Yes there are loud noises and sound effects throughout, but when the auditorium and stage go dark – it REALLY goes dark! These long periods sat in total darkness are just as unnerving as some of the things we witness when the lights are on.
And these are the things we can’t talk about – the scares and tricks are pure theatrical magic and work so much better for seeing them live. Each one elicited gasps or screams from a very attentive audience, who were clearly enjoying the show throughout.
Although it is a little slow to start with, the show does a great job of building up the tension throughout and gives the audience enough jumps and scares to release the pressure only for it to start to build up once again. Unlike another recent horror show, 2.22, the scares in Paranormal Activity are part of the show and story – not just a gimmicky loud scream at each scene change!
Director Felix Barrett (creative director of Punchdrunk) has genuinely pulled together a masterpiece of theatre, combining natural performances, technical marvels and a truly genuinely interesting storyline that pulls it all together. Although different from the original move – there is enough here to keep any horror fan happy, and we would definitely recommend this show before it closes in March
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