Ty Fanning and Ami Okumara in Paranormal Activity [Matt Crockett]

INSPIRED by the Paranormal Activity film franchise, Levi Holloway’s new story centres on a young American couple James (Ty Fanning) and Lou (Ami Okumura Jones) who are haunted by past events.

They move from Chicago to London for a fresh start, only to discover – wait for it – the show’s catchphrase: “Places aren’t haunted, people are.”

With Punchdrunk’s Felix Barrett directing, I expected something special.

The play unfolds on Fly Davis’s impressive two-storey set, incorporating a kitchen, living room, two bedrooms and a bathroom. Unfortunately, the sightlines aren’t great from an aisle seat.

The story takes a while to warm up as we learn of Lou’s paranoia, James’s efforts to support her, and his video calls with his mother, Carolanne (Pippa Winslow), keen to visit.

The couple hire a psychic (Kirsty Bushell), who flees the house, and the pace picks up as we discover two formative incidents shaping their present.

Much of the unease comes from Gareth Fry’s sound design, working in tandem with Anna Watson’s lighting, Chris Fisher’s illusions and Davis’s set. Yet despite their sterling work, nuances are lost amid the scraping of popcorn buckets, audience chomping and the glow of phones as they’re scrolled.

Between jump scares, the story plods on until the nail-biting final scenes. It’s a shame because the acting is strong and the illusions are terrific, though we can occasionally anticipate a special effect coming.

Still, it’s infinitely better than The Enfield Haunting, which I saw at the same venue in early 2024, and it did make me jump several times, in between cursing the popcorn munchers.

Until November 7
paranormalonstage.com