Review: Paranormal Activity at Leeds Playhouse

Tuesday, 16th July 2024 at Leeds Playhouse

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Let’s (carefully) talk about Paranormal Activity, the spooky stage show based on the popular film which currently has audiences on tenterhooks at Leeds Playhouse. Once again I find myself, palms-up, declaring my ignorance of the source material – but my pal tells me the show does do justice to the spirit of the film… As a first-timer though, I think the show also does justice to the thriller genre and, like 2:22 A Haunting, offers a more cleverly crafted and layered piece than the ever popular favourite The Woman in Black…

Very briefly: a couple move from the states to the U.K. (some might say under suspicious circumstances, but I’ll just whistle and look to the clouds) – and find themselves battling a variety of challenges, both in and of themselves as well as their surroundings. Our leads – Melissa James as Lou and Patrick Heusinger as James – are perfectly cast: a wholly credible couple with a modern edge, tactile and gooey enough for relative newlyweds and gritty enough for the happenings surrounding them. Their dynamic shifts constantly and they nail both the dramatic moments and the humour in Levi Holloway’s writing.

Some of the best comic moments though belong to the distant mother with a winning lilt, played by Pippa Winslow, and the hilariously abrupt dose of realism from Etheline, played by Jackie Morrison. There’s something beautifully unexpected about the way the humour arrives and warps in this piece; Hitchcock’s principle of contrast between joy and fear in the realm of horror is well and truly at play here, offering the comic value of witty one liners and gentle jibes at culture clashes alongside plenty of much darker moments.

There’s no spoiler in saying that things get spooky – and the show is a fantastic example of how impressionable we are when left to darkness and collective experience. The brief contagions of gasps and squeals at key points is testament to director Felix Barrett’s keen sense for theatrical thrills. You’ll need to brace for plenty of suspense and some great jump scares – and ready yourself to be throughly impressed by some of the stage sorcery, because illusionist Chris Fisher does not disappoint here and there are genuine moments of surprise and awe.

Fly Davis’ set is also fantastic, offering a fully-functioning cosy home across two cut-away levels, providing a deceptively ordinary backdrop and paving the way for those classic bump-in-the-night from way upstairs/ downstairs moments… helped along by Anna Watson’s eerie lighting designs and Gareth Fry’s spine-tingling sound design.

Paranormal Activity is possibly not quite so strong as 2:22 as the ending feels brilliantly surprising but not altogether fulfilling – but it’s definitely worth a trip for thrill-seekers. If you’re still clinging to The Woman in Black for your creepy theatre kicks, here’s another worthy offering to feed that hunger!

Paranormal Activity is at Leeds Playhouse until August 3rd 2024 – more information and tickets can be found here.