Stranger Things: The First Shadow

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Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a stage play that serves as an official prequel to the Netflix series Stranger Things. Directed by Stephen Daldry, The First Shadow is written by series staff writer Kate Trefry, with the play's story conceived by Trefry, the Duffer Brothers and Jack Thorne. The play made its debut at London's Phoenix Theatre in late 2023, with an additional New York production coming in 2025.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Synopsis[]

BEFORE THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN...

Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper's car won't start, Bob Newby's sister won't take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn't so easy... and the shadows of the past have a very long reach.

Brought to life by a multi-award-winning creative team, who take theatrical storytelling and stagecraft to a whole new dimension, this gripping new adventure will take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story – and may hold the key to the end.

Plot[]

Please note: This section describes the original version of Stranger Things: The First Shadow that premiered in London in 2023. The Broadway 2025 version is a minor variation of the London version.

Prologue[]

In 1943, the United States holds secret experiments involving the USS Eldridge, hoping to use a force field to turn the ship invisible and undetectable to the Germans. However, the ship is instead transported to Dimension X, where most of the crew are killed by strange humanoid creatures.

Chapter One: The Girl from Nowhere[]

In 1959, the Creel family - consisting of Victor, Virginia, Henry and Alice Creel - move to a new home in Hawkins, Indiana. Henry is tormented, mentally disturbed and in possession of remarkable psychokinetic abilties. Henry struggles to make friends upon joining Hawkins High School; despite that, he quickly forms a connection with Patty Newby, daughter of the school principal. Patty convinces Henry that his powers are not evil, and that he should be able to control them and use them for good. Henry creates a "vision" for Patty, where she can express herself through song while being supported by everyone around her. They form a romantic bond, meeting each other every day after school, and eventually kiss. Meanwhile, Joyce Maldonado attempts to put on a school production of Dark of the Moon.

While at the attic alone, Henry is overcome by the influence of a shadowy presence - his mind enters what he calls "the battlefield", from where he proceeds to kill several animals, including Claudia Yount's cat Prancer. Henry becomes haunted by visions of a humanoid monster; he is terrified that he will be made to kill Patty. Following this, Patty's adoptive brother Bob teams up with Joyce and her friend James Hopper Jr. to investigate the animal killings.

Patty convinces Henry to use his powers to track down her biological mother. As he does this, and while inside the void, he loses control and is once again visited by the monster. This frightens Patty, and when her father walks in and witnesses the scene, he is attacked and almost killed (by Henry controlled by the presence). Patty is able to encourage Henry to fight back by telling him that she believes he is good and that she loves him. Henry responds that he loves her too and is able to end the situation, but not before Patty's father is blinded and seriously injured. Mr. Newby is sent to the hospital, and Henry's mother Virginia sends Henry to Dr. Martin Brenner. It is revealed that she was supplied with drugs by Brenner; under the influence of these drugs, Virginia told Brenner everything about her son. When Mr. Newby wakes up, he tells Patty that Henry saved him from the monster. Mr. Newby draws a picture of the shadowy entity on a piece of paper and gives it to his daughter: it's the Mind Flayer.

Chapter Two: Captain Midnight[]

Brenner takes Henry to Hawkins National Laboratory, where the two discuss the past:

It is explained that Brenner's father was the captain and sole survivor of the USS Eldridge experiment, who returned to the normal world with significant injuries and a unique blood type; the elder Brenner later revealed the truth about these events on his deathbed. Dr. Brenner later established the Nevada Experiment, an attempt to reproduce what had happened to the Eldridge.

One of Brenner's fellow scientists defected and stole key technology and transported it to a Nevadan cave. At this time, a very young Henry and the Creels lived nearby, in Rachel, Nevada. While exploring the Nevadan caves and playing with a spyglass, Henry stumbled across the stolen technology when it unexpectedly activated, transporting him and the defecting scientist to Dimension X.

In Dimension X, Henry was exposed to the influence of the shadowy entity. Though Henry returned home after 12 hours, he now possessed a unique blood type and had a changed personality. Brenner was later able to track Henry down thanks to Henry dropping his spyglass in the caves.

Henry, using a sensory deprivation chamber, shows Brenner a humanoid creature through the Void. Brenner sees this creature displayed on a screen, and Henry convulses. Brenner then tries to force Henry to kill a prisoner, but Henry breaks down and ends up stabbing two guards. After this, Henry tells Brenner that he can let him go. Brenner understands that the boy is devoted to someone and therefore cannot kill; later Brenner realizes that this person is Patty and vows to find and kill her.

Henry returns home, but senses that his family is not happy about his return. Using his powers, he reads his mother's thoughts and understands that she wants to send him back to Brenner. Henry gives into the shadowy entity's influence; while possessed, he kills Virginia and Alice before falling unconscious, with Victor also falling unconscious.

Awakening in dazed confusion some hours later, Henry walks to Hawkins High School to save Patty from Brenner, where the performance of Dark of the Moon is about to begin. Atop the stage rafters, Henry reunites with Patty only to be interrupted by Brenner, who appears on the other side of the stage. Brenner says that Patty is his weakness, and Patty tells Henry not to listen to him. As Henry struggles for control, he informs Patty that he managed to find her birth mother, a singer at the Stardust Casino in Las Vegas. Feeling overwhelmed, the shadowy entity once again takes control of Henry, and Henry throws Patty off the rafters. Brenner takes Henry back to Hawkins Lab, Patty is taken to the hospital, and Victor Creel is accused of the murder of Virginia and Alice based on Joyce, Bob and Jim's assumptions about the animal killings.

In 1963, Joyce and Jim bid farewell to each other as the latter is shipped off to fight in Vietnam.

Epilogue[]

Some years later, an older Henry is back at Hawkins Lab and is restrained. Using the Void, Henry discovers that Patty survived her fall and was discharged from the hospital, though now needing to walk with a cane. Henry observes her in Las Vegas, where she meets her mother backstage after a performance at the Stardust Casino; Patty and her mother recognize each other and embrace.

Brenner informs Henry that the blood transfusions administered to the test subjects have been successful; as a reward, Brenner frees Henry from his restraints. In the Rainbow Room, Henry is introduced to one of the children; Henry remarks: "Hello Eleven, I have something new for us." Lightning flashes and the silhouette of Vecna appears on the back wall.

Cast[]

Original cast[]

Main cast[]

Supporting cast[]

Shane Attwooll as Chief Hopper
Kemi Awoderu as Sue Anderson
Chase Brown as Lonnie Byers
Ammar Duffus as Charles Sinclair
Gilles Geary as Ted Wheeler
Florence Guy as Karen Childress
Max Harwood as Alan Munson
Matthew Pidgeon as Principal Newby
Calum Ross as Walter Henderson
Maisie Norma Seaton as Claudia Yount
Anika Boyle, Faith Delaney, Imogen Turner as Alice Creel^[4]

Production history[]

West End, London (2023-present)[]

Following the announcement of Season 4's release dates, the Duffer Brothers hinted the Stranger Things universe would expand.^[5]

At some point, British theatre producer Stephen Daldry brought an idea for a Stranger Things-themed stage play to the Duffer Brothers. Daldy was uninterested in doing "a musical of season one or something like that", as Matt Duffer initially assumed, but instead "wanted to tell a new and original story".^[6]

On July 6, 2022, the Duffers and Netflix put out a press release, announcing the Duffers' new production company and various projects in development, including the new Stranger Things-themed stage play. 21 Laps Entertainment were noted to serve as Associate Producer. Stephen Daldry and Sonia Friedman would produce, working alongside Netflix, with Daldry also directing.^[7]

A report posted by Collider on January 11, 2023, claimed the play was looking to cast 14-year-olds 'George Smith' and 'Betty Olsen'. George was described as a "moody and pale" outcast, while Betty was the daughter of a preacher and a "goody two-shoes" who can't believe she's falling for the school outcast. The breakdown for Betty specifically called for BIPOC actors with the ability to sing.^[8]

On March 1, 2023, the play was announced to be titled The First Shadow, and had a synopsis reveal. Series writer Kate Trefry and playwright Jack Thorne's involvement was also revealed. Furthermore, it was confirmed the play would make its debut at London's West End on December 14, 2023, superseding A Streetcar Named Desire at the Phoenix Theatre.^[1]^[2]^[6]

On September 20, 2023, the full cast was announced. The initial production would feature Oscar Lloyd as James Hopper Jr., Isabella Pappas as Joyce Maldonado, Christopher Buckley as Bob Newby, Louis McCartney as Henry Creel, Patrick Vaill as Dr. Brenner, Ella Karuna Williams as Patty Newby, Michael Jibson as Victor Creel, and Lauren Ward as Virginia Creel.^[9]

The show began previews on November 17, 2023 and officially opened on December 14, 2023.

On December 14, Deadline reported that there are plans to make The First Shadow the first in a trilogy of Stranger Things-related stage plays. The First Shadow will eventually transfer to Broadway, with each new play following in the same pattern as Shadow, first debuting in London's West End.^[3]

Broadway, New York (2025)[]

On August 6, 2024 it was announced that the show would transfer to Broadway in Spring 2025. Previews are expected to begin at the Marquis Theatre on March 28, 2025, while the play's official opening date is scheduled for April 22, 2025.^[10] While further casting is yet to be announced, Louis McCartney will reprise his role as Henry Creel from London.^[11]

Differences between versions[]

West End, London (2023-present)[]

The original cast announcement listed Patty and Bob's father as "Father Newby", indicating he would be a priest. Related to this, the promotional materials for the play also included images of a church, and the casting call for Patty mentions she is "the daughter of a preacher". However, the character was later changed to be the principal of Hawkins High.

Similarly, the listing of Eddie Munson's father on the First Shadow website was changed from "Allen" to "Alan", and the listing for the Claudia Henderson character was changed to "Claudia Yount", revealing her maiden name.

The show began previews on November 17, 2023. In the initial preview, the play ended with Brenner introducing Henry to women pregnant with the other child test subjects (Two, Three, et al), with Henry meeting Eleven as a newborn baby.

In all subsequent performances, Henry instead meets Eleven as an older infant (though Eleven is still younger than she appears in the Season 4 flashbacks). Henry meeting Eleven as a newborn baby in the initial preview was the result of time constraints. The initial performance took longer than expected; in the UK, child actors cannot legally perform after 11pm, which necessitated the use of the altered ending.^[12]^[13]