At this opening-night Toronto engagement, the production demonstrates how effectively horror can function onstage when handled with technical precision and a cast willing to balance genuine unease with flashes of wit.
Rather than adapting one of the films directly, the play offers an original contemporary story. Newly married James (Patrick Heusinger) and Louise—known as Lou (Melissa James) — have relocated from Chicago to London in search of a fresh start. He begins a new job; she carries lingering anxiety rooted in the unsettling experiences of their previous home.
That hope of renewal proves short-lived: as the plot develops, it becomes clear that whatever haunted them in Chicago has not been left behind.
Among the supporting figures are James’s intrusive mother, Carolanne (Pippa Winslow), who appears by video call, and the eccentric medium Etheline Cotgrave (Jackie Morrison), summoned in the hope that she might rid the house of its malignant presence.
What distinguishes the evening is its stagecraft. Chris Fisher’s illusions are deployed with impressive restraint and timing, making each effect land with force. Fly Davis’s split-level set makes striking use of the Ed Mirvish stage, while Anna Watson’s shadow-heavy lighting and Gareth Fry’s ominous sound design steadily deepen the sense of dread. Taken together, the production offers the kind of sensory control that gives live theatrical horror its particular charge.
Levi Holloway’s script, drawn from Paramount Pictures’ Paranormal Activity universe, is smartly structured, and Felix Barrett’s direction borrows familiar horror-movie rhythms without allowing the production to feel derivative. One early scene between James and Lou is especially deft in the way it turns intimacy into shock, abruptly rupturing the mood to unsettling effect.
Winslow gives Carolanne a steel-busybody edge that initially reads as meddling before revealing more complex motives. Morrison, meanwhile, lends Etheline an intriguing mix of authority and alarm, making the character’s retreat from the house all the more effective. Both performances sharpen the production’s shifts between disbelief, dread, and grim humour.
Heusinger and James anchor the production persuasively. Their rapport gives the marriage enough texture to make the escalating disturbances matter, and even when the play occasionally strains credibility, both actors keep the emotional stakes legible. The result is an evening that remains involving even in its less subtle moments.
By the end, the production has fully earned its atmosphere of mounting unease. Its central idea—“Places aren’t haunted, but people are”—lands with conviction, supported by accomplished design work and a company that understands how to sustain suspense in front of a live audience.
For anyone sceptical that horror can succeed in a theatre, Paranormal Activity makes a persuasive case. I don’t want to give away any spoilers.
The genre’s dependence on timing, atmosphere, and collective response proves to be an asset rather than a liability in front of a live audience. There are genuine jolts throughout, many of them expertly paced, and the audience’s audible reactions become part of the evening’s pleasure.
It may also prove an effective draw for younger audiences—no small achievement for a commercial theatre production. Plus, theatres should continue to consider ways to bring youth to the theatre.
Mirvish has done so with Paranormal Activity. It’s going to be a popular one. It’s skilfully assembled and easy to recommend.
Go see it.
Running time: approximately two hours and 30 minutes with one intermission.
The production runs to July 5 at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria Street, Toronto. For tickets: mirvish.com or call 1-800-461-3333.
MIRVISH PRESENTS
Simon Friend and Hannah Osmolska for Melting Pot by arrangement with Paramount Pictures
Paranormal Activity, based on Paramount Pictures’ Paranormal Activity films by Levi Holloway
Directed by Felix Barrett
Set and Costumes: Fly Davis
Illusions: Chris Fisher
Lighting Designer: Anna Watson
Sound Designer: Gareth Fry
Video Designer: Luke Halls
Performers: Patrick Heusinger, Melissa James, Jackie Morrison, Pippa Winslow, Eva Greig
