A new stage version of Paramount Picture’s Paranormal Activity premieres in The Courtyard Theatre where Leo Owen caught the show

Nirvana’s Lithium blasts the audience accompanied by disturbing car crash screeches reverberating in the pitch-black auditorium. Writer Levi Holloway deliberately disorientates by starkly contrasting this cacophony of noise with the hypnotic voice-over that follows, warning “places aren’t haunted – people are.”

Holloway’s adaptation is very loosely-based on the 2007 found footage horror film, transporting the action to London where young couple James (Patrick Heusinger) and Lou (Melissa James) have relocated for work after difficulties in Chicago. Tension is eked out by cleverly drip-feeding their back-stories and masterful stage trickery from Director Felix Barrett (immersive theatre company Punchdrunk’s Artistic Director) and Illusionist Chris Fisher.

Fly Davis’ intricate contemporary set also cleverly detracts attention, enabling Fisher’s special effects to impressively materialise without time for the audience to unpick their workings. Davis presents a cross-section of a two-storey house, showing all rooms and a doorway to a back bedroom. Gareth Fry’s sound design builds on the already menacing mood with heavy rain effects throughout and Nirvana’s lyrics returning with ever-growing significance: “I'm so happy 'cause today I found my friends… they're in my head”.

Leeds Playhouse in association with Simon Friend Entertainment have gone to great lengths to avoid any spoilers, ensuring audible gasps and murmurs are heard across The Courtyard.

Paranormal Activity utilises genre conventions with broken circuits suddenly plunging the audience into darkness, ominous shadows and inexplicable appearances ramping up the tension. Much like the recently touring 2.22 – A Ghost Story, it’s a great example of how modern horror can successfully be staged and in many ways watching Fisher’s work live is all the more impressive than special effects on a screen. Convincing performances make for unnerving entertainment sure to delight horror fans.

Paranormal Activity shows at Leeds Playhouse 4th July -3rd August: https://www.leedsplayhouse.org.uk/event/paranormal-activity/