Paranormal Activity at Ambassadors Theatre Review
Written by Liam Arnold for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Horror and theatre have never had the smoothest relationship, and the Ambassadors Theatre knows this better than most. Its last brush with the supernatural, The Enfield Haunting, left critics decidedly unmoved. So Paranormal Activity arrives under a fair amount of pressure — not just to scare, but to justify horror’s place on a West End stage. Happily, when it comes to craft and atmosphere, this production largely delivers.
From the outset, it’s clear this is a slick, high-budget affair. Fly Davis’s two-storey house set fills the stage, instantly creating a sense of domestic realism that becomes quietly unsettling. Staircases disappear into shadow, doors feel ominous simply by existing, and the audience is encouraged to keep scanning the space, never quite sure where the next moment will come from.
The technical elements are where the show truly shines. Gareth Fry’s sound design is immersive and unsettling, vibrating through the auditorium and keeping nerves permanently on edge. Anna Watson’s lighting design is particularly effective — and impressively bold. On several occasions, the theatre is plunged into complete darkness, leaving us staring into the eigengrau, that strange grey-black void where the imagination runs riot. It’s an unnerving device, and one that works beautifully.
Chris Fisher’s illusions are cleverly integrated and often genuinely surprising, prompting audible gasps and nervous laughter from the audience. Director Felix Barrett (best known for Punchdrunk) clearly understands how to build tension and how much pleasure audiences take in being frightened together. There’s a real sense of communal experience here — people squealing, laughing, whispering warnings to the stage — which gives the evening an infectious energy.
Where Paranormal Activity begins to falter is in its storytelling. Levi Holloway’s script follows a young married couple who move from Chicago to London in search of a fresh start, only to find themselves confronted by unsettling forces. The central idea — that “places aren’t haunted, people are” — is a compelling one, but it’s never quite explored with enough depth to give the story real emotional weight.
The characters, while well performed, aren’t fully fleshed out. Their relationship feels functional rather than textured, serving primarily as a framework for the scares rather than a drama in its own right. Emotional beats arrive efficiently but rarely land with lasting impact, and once the shocks subside, there’s little that lingers.
That said, the show knows exactly what it wants to be. As a piece of theatrical horror, it’s expertly executed and often thrilling. It may not offer the richest narrative or the most complex characters, but it delivers a polished, nerve-rattling night out that many audiences will relish.
Paranormal Activity may not haunt you long after you leave the theatre — but in the moment, it’s an impressively crafted and undeniably entertaining scare.
Plays at Ambassadors until 28 March 2026.
★★★
