Abigail Kitwood
On 14th December, a brand-new story in the universe of Netflix’s Stranger Things opened its doors at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End. Set 25 years before the series, Stranger Things: The First Shadow follows a young Henry Creel as he moves to the town of Hawkins to try and make a fresh start whilst desperately grappling with the shadows of his past. Abigail Kitwood reviews.
Since its premiere on Netflix in 2016, Stranger Things has become an international smash-hit, entrancing audiences with it’s 80s nostalgia and terrifying monsters. So, seemingly it was only a matter of time before the show branched out into spin-offs. What I did not expect was the first voyage into the wider world of Stranger Things to come in the form of a stage play: Stranger Things: The First Shadow.
Having seen a number of theatrical spin-offs which have been heralded as ‘canon’ by their creators, I was somewhat sceptical walking into this play. I was anticipating something in a similar vein to other productions created from large scale media, such as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: a fun romp into the world of the story with no real deep meaning and likely some familiar, if slightly out of character, faces. However, what I came to find in The First Shadow blew all of those expectations out of the water.
a fully-fledged Stranger Things episode told live and in-person upon the stage
What I proceeded to watch over the next three hours was a fully-fledged Stranger Things episode told live and in-person upon the stage, complete with the iconic intro of red text. It was, quite honestly put, like nothing I’ve seen before and is probably one of my favourite theatrical experiences of the year, if not in my life.
As a fan of the TV show, I deeply enjoyed the way the show tackled the pre-existing world of Stranger Things with a number of references being made to both characters and events within the series, without feeling disingenuous. The ensemble of characters is peppered with familiar surnames but does not dwell on these as if nudging the audience to say “look it’s Dustin’s mum!!” “Oh my gosh it’s Eddie Munson’s dad!!”, it simply mentions them before swiftly moving on. Despite the number of references throughout the play, the show does a good job of standing on its own two feet so that even if you’re unfamiliar with the Netflix TV series, the play is enjoyable.
maintains the series’ charm and humour that genuinely allows you to connect with every character on stage
The show doesn’t shy away from the sci-fi horror nature of the original series either. In fact, it completely leans into it, creating some of the most terrifying theatre I’ve had the opportunity to see. It had me jumping about a foot in the air at every turn. Yet it also maintains the series’ charm and humour that genuinely allows you to connect with every character on stage.
seamlessly merges a performance of a scared young boy and terrifying multidimensional being while also shouldering the weight of the show as it’s protagonist
The cast of the show tackle this behemoth of a production admirably, stepping into the shoes of some pretty iconic characters as if it’s no bother. Although, two actors in particular stood out to me: Isabella Pappas as Joyce Maldonado (better known to fans of the show as Joyce Byers) and Louis McCartney as a young Henry Creel (better known to fans of the show as Vecna). Pappas steps effortlessly into the character made famous by Winona Ryder in a way that’s almost baffling. Every aspect of her performance from her body language to her vocal intonation crafts a character that feels truthful to the original TV series yet stands alone in her own right. The same goes for McCartney’s Henry Creel, who seamlessly merges a performance of a scared young boy and terrifying multidimensional being while also shouldering the weight of the show as it’s protagonist.
Every element of the show works together so seamlessly that you almost forget you’re not curled up in front of the TV
However, what truly makes this show spectacular is the outstanding work of everyone behind the scenes. To take a show so reliant on CGI and visual effects such as Stranger Things and put it live on stage was no easy feat, and this play does it incredibly. It seemingly uses every single element in the theatre playbook, utilising lighting, sound effects, puppetry and projections to create the monsters that Stranger Things has become so well known for. I spent a large portion of my time watching the show marvelling at how intricate every single aspect of the show was and desperately attempting to figure out how they did everything, to no avail. Every element of the show works together so seamlessly that you almost forget you’re not curled up in front of the TV and are instead watching it all unfold live in front of you.
Since leaving the Phoenix Theatre, I’ve spent almost every waking hour talking to anyone who will listen about how incredible this show was and have desperately been trying to hold myself back from booking another ticket to see it again. The show is currently booking until August 2024 and if you get any chance to spend time in the town of Hawkins, Stranger Things fan or not, I highly encourage you to do so. It’s an experience like nothing I’ve ever seen.
Abigail Kitwood
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of @stonstage
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