Stranger Things: The First Shadow

There is palpable excitement in the auditorium ramped up by the steadily rising static from the speakers. It feels like the entire audience is willing Stranger Things: The First Shadow, an original prequel to the blockbuster Netflix series, to be a success.

Director Stephen Daldry (The Crown, Billy Elliot) declared his interest very early on in the process, just after Season One aired. More than elated, writers Matt and Ross Duffer had to wait a further two years until the nettle was finally grasped. Together with producer Sonia Friedman and an award-winning team, and under the direction of Stephen Daldry, original script writer Kate Trefry began to pen her first play.

It's 1959 and twelve-year-old Henry Creel has just moved to Hawkins with his father (who’s suffering from PTSD) mother, and younger sister. What is meant to be a fresh start for the troubled family soon turns into an unimaginable nightmare.

The actors look and feel familiar. Joyce Maldonado, Bob Newby and James Hopper Jr take on the investigative role searching for the cause of unexplained pet deaths while rehearsing a new high-school play.

From the dramatic opening naval sequence, possibly the best theatrical 10 minutes I have ever seen, you are pulled back into the realm of the Upside Down, which helped to make this the most successful series ever on Netflix. Cue the first strains of the memorable theme tune you are locked in and carried through this epic production. We are led through a complex, well-paced but easy to follow plot which is hastened by well used screen projections and lighting in an ever-changing set delivering some incredible visual experiences and enveloping you in the mystic and the madness.

There are some great performances delivered primarily by Louis McCartney as Henry Creel, but Isabella Pappas as Joyce Maldonado and Patrick Vaill as a young and disturbing Dr. Brenner are also deserving of praise. This is a big production in many ways, not least the three hours run time (inclusive of interval). The creative team have used every trick in the book to scale this production and they have succeeded. At the flick of a switch Jon Clark’s lighting and Paul Arditti’s earth shuddering sound combine to great effect. Every detail has clearly been meticulously thought through.

With a script that explores troubled adolescence, mental health and what it is to be normal the team have adapted this story to perfectly chime with audiences in 2023. Staying true to the original script yet carving its own unique path Henry Creel’s paranormal powers are sure to create a new theatrical phenomenon in the West End.

An absolute must for fans of the show, you will not be disappointed.