Uncanny: Fear of the Dark turns the hit paranormal podcast into a spine-tingling live experience full of eerie tales, immersive visuals and audience chills, writes SU WILLIAMS
Uncanny: Fear of the Dark Review
Liverpool Playhouse, 4 October 2025 (Matinee Performance)
The lights go down. A seeping hush of anticipation descends upon the packed audience. Tendrils of dry ice appear, drifting with a gentle menace across the stage.
Suddenly, the air is split by thumping bass and thrashing guitars. The curtain lifts to reveal… a solitary man in a red coat. And that can only mean one thing – the paranormal phenomenon that is Uncanny is back on tour.
In only three short years, Danny Robins and resident co-hosts Evelyn Hollow and Ciarán O’Keeffe have created the go-to destination for fans of all things spooky and supernatural. The original podcast has grown into books, two television series and live shows – the second incarnation of which is currently touring to packed houses throughout the land.
Uncanny: Fear of the Dark offers six new unsettling tales. Of course, there are ghosts in the mix, but there are also a couple of eerie encounters with UFOs and cryptids. Whatever aspect of the unexplained draws you in, you will find it here.
After each tale is told, Danny, Ciarán and Evelyn discuss them from their various viewpoints.
Sounds familiar? It will do. This is the basic format of the podcast. However, don’t be deceived into thinking that’s all there is to it.
The transformation of Uncanny into a live setting sees the whole experience reach a new level.
For a start, the live format showcases Danny’s skills as a consummate storyteller. Drawing on our natural fear of the dark, he invites the audience to imagine they are sitting round a campfire sharing strange stories, just as humans have done through history.
And it works. The audience quickly becomes completely absorbed as he guides them through the disconcerting experiences of the contributors.
His delivery combines just the right amount of intrigue, expectation and confusion. There is even a welcome scattering of humour to diffuse things when events become a little too intense.
All of this is greatly enhanced by the effects layered into each story. Individuals describe their encounters on large video screens, and it feels as if they are sitting in front of us. Images flash up, transporting us to where the event happens. We see what they saw, almost feel what they felt.
And then there’s the fantastic use of special effects and props… but I won’t spoil it for you.
Once the tale is told, it is over to the experts. Their discussions are always interesting, coming as they do from two such seemingly radically opposed viewpoints.
However, believer Evelyn and sceptic Ciarán have a marvellous chemistry. They critically analyse the cases using their wealth of knowledge and experience, while still allowing for the odd verbal tussle.
So far, so Uncanny, you might think. But what makes the live shows so exciting – and ensures none of them are ever the same – is the audience participation.
Encouraged by Danny and the team, people give their thoughts on the stories showcased, question the experts more closely, and shout out support for the believer or sceptic point of view.
And then there are perhaps the bravest people in the theatre – those willing to share their paranormal experiences.
It is perhaps this last group which sums up why Uncanny is as successful as it is and why this live show is so unique and exciting.
Many people shy away from revealing their scary, weird or possibly paranormal experiences. Indeed, several of the show’s contributors admitted they had never spoken about what had happened to them.
But Danny and the team have created a safe space for those who want to share, understand and process the events they simply cannot explain.
They have created a community where, whatever your story, no-one will criticise, no-one will judge, and no-one will disbelieve the truth of your experience.
And in a world where arguments, disagreements and noise have become the natural order of things – give me the supernatural any day.
Uncanny: Fear of the Dark is on tour until March 2026. Some tickets are available at select venues, and new dates have recently been added.
You can access previous episodes of the Uncanny podcast on BBC Sounds, and a new series is due at the end of the month. Daily mini episodes are currently being made available in the run-up to Halloween.
Have you experienced Uncanny: Fear of the Dark live on tour? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section!
