Paranormal Activity stars meet for West End vs Broadway chat

Ami Okumura Jones and Cher Álvarez, the current leading ladies of Paranormal Activity, have sat down together for WhatsOnStage's West End vs Broadway series. The episode, headlined around "transatlantic terror", was published on 6 October and compares life in the show on either side of the Atlantic WhatsOnStage.

The scares cross the Atlantic. The stage play is written by Levi Holloway and based on the Paramount film franchise. It is directed by Felix Barrett, founder and artistic director of Punchdrunk, the company known for large-scale immersive shows.

The story follows James and Lou. They move from Chicago to London to escape their past, then face unexplained events in their new home. The production presents that move in both cities at once.

In London, the show is running at the Ambassadors Theatre. In New York, it is running at the August Wilson Theatre. London is currently booking through to 27 February 2027 WhatsOnStage.

The London company includes Ty Fanning as James in his West End debut. Kirsty Bushell plays Etheline Cotgrave, and Pippa Winslow plays Carolanne.

Behind the effects is a large creative team. Fly Davis designs set and costumes, with Anna Watson on lighting, Gareth Fry on sound and Luke Halls on video. Chris Fisher serves as illusions director, a role focused on magic and scare effects, with casting direction by Stuart Burt and Ginny Schiller and Anna Marshall as associate director.

There is also a separate production touring the UK and Ireland. The Broadway run is billed as a 20-week-only engagement.

For fans, this means a rare direct comparison. Jones and Álvarez both know the role of Lou from the inside. Hearing how each handles the screams, the silence and the night-after-night tension puts the two productions in the same room.