Paranormal Activity

It’s strange how humans get a sense of togetherness when the fear of the unknown bites.

As the Theatre Royal in Glasgow was plunged into darkness ready for Paranormal Activity, one audience member was keen to keep on scrolling a mobile phone.

But the light from it was so bright and the theatre, so black, that it caught everyone’s eyes and a polite shout out to turn it off was swiftly adhered to followed by a spontaneous round of applause and nervous giggles as we waited for the curtain to rise on a very spooky night.

Paranormal Activity is scary but it’s also very clever with a great twist to the plot and funny too, all the ingredients for a good night out.

Based on the 2007 American supernatural horror film by Oren Peli, the show, making its Scottish premiere, has been adapted by playwright Levi Holloway and is a real gripper.

It tells the story of James (James Bye) and Lou (Hannah Sinclair Robinson) who move to the UK from America to escape their past.

But after a brief period of peace, they begin to feel the presence of evil forces and their lives turn upside down as they try to figure out what is going on.

There’s lots of bumps on the way and company stage manager Andrew Owen and his team of Ed Jackson, Emily Danby, Zoe Hammond and Benedict Jones add to the drama with a superb but simple set of a cosy cottage.

Director Felix Barrett of British theatre group Punchdrunk fame, is helped with expert lighting from Anna Watson, sound by Gareth Fry and video design from Luke Halls, who together with illusions from the very clever Chris Fisher, leave the audience in terror.

The cast is also supported by Etheline Cotgrave (Jo Castleton), Carolanne (Caroline Faber) and Calypso Barclay (ensemble).

This supernatural smash proves that it’s people that are haunted not places and has all the panache for a terrifying time!

Paranormal Activity runs at Theatre Royal Glasgow until Saturday, 26^th September and then moves to The Grand Opera House, York from 29^th September to 3^rd October, Woking Theatre from 6^th to 10^th October, the Alexandra, Birmingham from 27^th to 31^st October, Theatre Royal, Brighton from 24^th to 28^th November, Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury from 12^th to 16^th January 2027, King’s Theatre, Edinburgh from 2^nd to 6^th February, His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen from 2^nd to 6^th March, Liverpool Empire from 27^th April to 1^st May and Eden Court, Inverness from 4^th to 8^th May 2027.

For performance times and ticket information, please visit: www.atgtickets.com.

Author Bio:

Rebecca Hay is an experienced travel writer and member of The British Guild of Travel Writers. Follow her adventures with her family on Twitter and Instagram @emojiadventurer and on Facebook via EmojiAdventurers2.

West End production photographs by Johan Persson