# Theatre makers rely on suggestion and shared fear to unsettle audiences

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/jump-scares-leather-gloves-and-squeaking-moth-noises-theatre-horror-masters-on-how-they-make-their-shows-so-scary/
- Published: 2026-10-31T12:00:43+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T13:32:48+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/oct/31/theatre-horror-play-paranormal-activity-blackout-silence-lambs-haunting-hill-house
- Topics: Culture, Entertainment, Horror, Paranormal, TV, Weird & Viral

## Key points

- Theatre horror is drawing audiences seeking a shared fright.
- Suggestion and suspense can be scarier than visible monsters.
- Several productions are touring or playing in London.

## Summary

Theatre-makers are drawing audiences into a growing wave of horror productions, using darkness, suggestion and carefully timed scares to create a shared sense of fear. Designers and writers say restraint often works better than showing a threat directly, and that live horror can offer an intense escape from everyday worries.

The article highlights Blackout, Paranormal Activity, 2:22: A Ghost Story and other current productions, alongside the long-running influence of The Woman in Black and Ghost Stories. Blackout draws on creator Sam Beech’s unsettling experience in a dark car park, while illusion designer Chris Fisher compares effective suspense to seeing a shark’s fin rather than the shark itself. Comedian Kirsty Mann says audiences seek the collective thrill of fear, and has seen Paranormal Activity three times in a month.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.