Paranormal Activity Still Makes You Hold Your Breath on a Second Visit at the Ambassadors

John Martin

October 25, 2026
5 min read

Paranormal Activity Still Makes You Hold Your Breath on a Second Visit at the Ambassadors

Paranormal Activity | Ambassadors Theatre until 27 February 2027

A must-see chiller that rewards a second visit

Paranormal Activity began as a very small, very cheap horror film. Oren Peli’s 2007 original was reportedly made for about $15,000 and went on to gross close to $200 million, largely on the strength of its found-footage format. The stage version, written by Levi Holloway and directed by Felix Barrett, the founder of Punchdrunk and creator of Sleep No More, isn’t a retelling. It’s an original story set in that world, about a new couple, James and Lou, who move from Chicago to London to escape their past. It completely drops the found-footage device. The play opened at Leeds Playhouse in 2024, toured the United States, and then opened at the Ambassadors Theatre in London in December 2025, where its run has been extended, and the production was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play. It has since opened on Broadway, and a UK and Ireland tour began in September.

This was my second visit, and I returned of my own volition. I was a very brave boy. I took two friends with me, one of whom has just joined the cast of Mamma Mia in London. I think it’s safe to say he was a nervous wreck by the end, jumping at everything that was going on. I knew roughly what was going to happen, so I was fascinated to see whether it stood up to a second viewing. It does.

The play is very clever in how it builds tension and how the effects work; it isn’t just a series of jump scares whose only purpose is to make you jump. What I loved was the sense of sitting in an audience where everyone was quiet and holding their breath.

There are long moments of silence. I’m normally critical of plays where the actors are miked, but here, because they are miked, you can hear them breathing, and that breathing raises the level of tension too. The effects are so clever that things move. People are on one side of the stage and then appear somewhere else. People vanish. I won’t say any more than that, because I’m asked not to spoil it, and I wouldn’t want to spoil it for anyone going in.

I’m a complete wuss when it comes to horror movies, but I absolutely loved this, and how it can crank up the tension with twists and turns, and it all makes sense. The second time around, I wanted to see where all the clues were planted. The big clue about what’s going on is planted right at the very beginning, in plain sight.

As in the films, the story is confined to a single house where a couple, Lou and James, have relocated from Chicago to London, hoping to escape a series of eerie occurrences. The narrative also turns to mental illness, with Lou being medicated. James has secured a job in London, and the focus remains primarily on Lou’s struggles and her fight to be believed.

The play is realistically set within a single room of the house. While cameras are present, they are not integral to the storytelling for most of the audience. I noticed them from my seat; they are primarily for those in the back stalls who might not have a clear view of the upper levels, helping them see the action rather than driving the narrative. All effects unfold directly in front of the audience.

Beyond mere tricks and effects, the production heavily relies on its cast, and the new cast members are exceptionally up to the challenge! Ty Fanning, as James, and Ami Okumura Jones, as Lou, are both excellent in portraying a realistic and completely believable couple grappling with paranormal events. They are ably supported by Kirsty Bushell as Etheline Cotgrave, a somewhat dubious psychic investigator, and Pippa Winslow as Caroline, James’s mother. Both supporting characters bring surprises and twists to their roles!

caro — Ty Fanning as ‘James’ and Ami Okumura Jones as ‘Lou’ and Pippa Winslow as ‘Carolanne’

This is a must-see for a thrilling night at the theatre, disproving the notion that theatre cannot be as scary as movies. If you cannot catch the production at the Ambassadors, be sure to check out the tour, as it may be coming to a location near you!

John Martin went back for a second look and still jumped. If a single visit to Paranormal Activity left you wanting answers, EyeOnLondon says the clues reward a return trip to the Ambassadors.

Independent arts, culture, ideas and criticism, from London and beyond, at eye-on-london.com.

[Image Credit | Danny Kaan]

Ambassadors Theatre · London