The Guardian
"An astonishing theatrical spectacle - the most ambitious show in the West End."
Long before the Upside Down and the events of the Netflix series, there was Hawkins, Indiana, 1959 - a small town with small worries, and one new arrival who would change everything. Stranger Things: The First Shadow is the official stage prequel to the global hit, playing at the Phoenix Theatre in the West End.
The story rewinds the clock to the town’s teenage years, following a young Jim Hopper, Joyce Maldonado and Bob Newby as an ordinary school year is upended by the arrival of a troubled new student named Henry Creel. What begins as a coming-of-age drama slowly darkens into the origin story of how that boy became the series’ most terrifying villain. Directed by Olivier and Tony winner Stephen Daldry with co-director Justin Martin, it is built around some of the most jaw-dropping stage illusions in the West End.
Why it’s worth the watch
The First Shadow works whether or not you have seen the series. Here is why it is a hot ticket:
- The stagecraft. Its illusions and special effects are genuinely astonishing, and helped win it two Olivier Awards.
- The origin story. It deepens the Stranger Things world with a prequel that fans and newcomers alike can follow.
- The direction. Stephen Daldry, of Billy Elliot and The Crown, brings blockbuster scale and real emotional weight.
- The scares. Part thriller, part horror, part coming-of-age drama, it keeps you on the edge of your seat for three hours.
