You’d be forgiven if you thought the August Wilson Theatre had become a movie theatre. Inside the Broadway house, the air turned buttery as audiences snacked on popcorn before a glowing screen ahead of showtime. Would Nicole Kidman emerge to announce, “We come to this place for magic”?
No, but we did show up for thrills.
Paranormal Activity is an unlikely Broadway play adaptation—genre theatre is a rarer breed, flashy musicals are often more popular, and the show has no stars. But it has existing IP, which has become an increasing draw for producers and audiences. But here’s the thing: Paranormal Activity is riveting.
It wants better content.
Horror that owes the franchise a premise, not a plot
You don’t need to be familiar with the breakout hit 2007 film, or any of its six sequels (and one on the way), to enjoy this genuinely scary work of theatre. Playwright Levi Holloway, as he did for Grey House, had crafted an original story that riffs on familiar tropes: jump scares, ghosts, and a haunted house.
But in Paranormal Activity, people are the ones who are haunted. Lou (Cher Álvarez) and James (Travis A. Knight) have relocated from Chicago to London after Lou was suffering from eerie visions in the States. But you know what they say about moving away from your problems: they follow you wherever you go.
Holloway has crafted a contemporary horror play (including references to targeted ads and Alexa) that easily toggles between living with the real—Lou takes a stunted Zoom work call that everyone’s been on—and the unreal. To describe those, well, paranormal activities would spoil the fun, but just know illusions designer Chris Fisher, who picked up a Special Tony Award in 2025 for his work on Stranger Things: The First Shadow, may mint another trophy this season.
Director Felix Barrett toys with pacing to augment the scares. Laughs interrupt bits of terror, and terror interrupts everyday moments. Álvarez and Knight deliver grounded performances that let audiences invest in their domestic life, making the demonic one more powerful.
But the demons you think are within the house may belong to another soul. Here, the production achieves not only scares but twists, bringing the play, in its final act, into richer psychological realms.
The new season is already filled with horror works: 2:22 and A Ghost in Your Ear also begin performances soon. As producers look for ways to get audiences off their couches, horror is becoming a surging genre for live theater. And though packed with spirits, Paranormal Activity is alive as can be.
Is ‘Paranormal Activity’ worth seeing?
For thrill seekers, fans of the film, or audiences curious about lesser-explored theatrical forms, Paranormal Activity is a must-see.
- August Wilson Theatre, 245 West 52nd Street, New York City
- Notable performers: Cher Álvarez, Travis A. Knight
- Running time: Approximately 2 hours 10 minutes, including one intermission
- Performances through January 3, 2027
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