I walked into Vertigo Theatre knowing almost nothing about The Brothers Paranormal. I prefer going in fresh. After seeing quite a few shows in Calgary over the years, this one instantly became one of the best I’ve ever seen.
The play was written by Prince Gomolvilas and directed by Esther Jun. It follows two Thai-American brothers trying to cash in on a surge in paranormal sightings. Max (Daniel Fong) and Visarut (Aaron Refugio) start a ghost-hunting business. They haven’t had a single case. Just as they’re ready to quit, their first customer walks in. She believes a spirit is haunting her home. What starts as a simple investigation quickly turns dark. It reveals themes of suicide, addiction, displacement and tragedy.
Getting It Right
Before attending, I felt nervous about potential cultural appropriation. The play deals with Thai spiritual traditions. It also explores African American experiences of displacement and grief. I wondered how these elements would be handled. Those concerns vanished almost immediately.
The writing felt authentic and thoughtful. Having a Thai-American playwright tell this story makes all the difference. Gomolvilas writes from lived experience rather than observation. The production never treats culture as costume or spectacle. It weaves these backgrounds into a story about universal human experiences. Loss and longing anchor the emotional core.
The production brought in Cultural and Dialect Consultant Wararat (Cherry) Koetruambun. She ensured authenticity in the Thai-American representation. This level of care shows in every scene involving Thai traditions and family dynamics. The cultural elements feel natural and necessary to the story.
The Cast
The casting is absolutely perfect. I usually like to choose a standout performer when I review a show. That was super hard this time. I genuinely liked each actor equally. This is an ensemble in the truest sense.
Daniel Fong played Max with grounded skepticism. He carried the weight of a broken family dealing with tragedy and mental illness well. Fong is a seasoned Calgary actor who has performed at Vertigo Theatre and Theatre Calgary before. His leading role in this production is well earned.
Aaron Refugio made his Vertigo debut as Visarut, playing the believer with such conviction you couldn’t help but question your own doubts. His chemistry with Fong as brothers felt completely authentic.
Jamillah Ross also made her Vertigo debut as Delia, bringing depth to a character whose fear wasn’t just about ghosts—it ran deeper into grief and displacement.
Ray Strachan played Felix, Delia’s husband, capturing the exhaustion of someone trying to hold his family together while questioning his own reality.
Carolyn Fe brought emotional gravity to her role as Tasanee, Visarut and Max’s mother. Her performance carried layers of wisdom, sorrow, and the familiar trauma and anguish of an immigrant in a foreign land who yearns to return home.
Heidi Damayo played Jai, the ghost haunting Delia and Felix’s home. She was both chilling and heartbreaking. She brought intense physicality to the role, bending and contorting her body in horrifying ways that made the story all too believable. Damayo will return to Vertigo later this season in Peril in the Alps.
The Staging
Scott Reid designed the set. It trapped the audience in close quarters with whatever was happening on stage. He is a Vertigo veteran who has designed over twenty shows for the company. His expertise with creating confined, tense spaces was perfect for this ghost story.
Director Jun understood how to pace a ghost story. She let scenes breathe when they needed to. She knew when to puncture tension with humour. The comedy never felt out of place. It made the terror more effective by giving the audience false security. The violence on stage felt necessary rather than gratuitous. Everything served the emotional core of the story.
A Historic Moment for Vertigo
The Brothers Paranormal is one of Calgary’s best theatrical productions this year. Horror is difficult to execute well on stage. This production succeeds because it understands something important. Effective horror comes from character and emotion. Gomolvilas has written something that lingers after you leave the theatre.
This production also represents an important moment for Vertigo Theatre. The entire cast is BIPOC. No white actors appear on stage. This is the first time in Vertigo’s history that this has happened.
If you’re looking for exceptional horror theatre in Calgary this Halloween season, don’t miss The Brothers Paranormal at Vertigo Theatre. It runs through October 26th.
Just be prepared to sleep with the lights on afterward.
