STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW Previews

Broadway, welcome to The Upside Down.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow starts previews tomorrow (March 28) at the Marquis Theatre. The visually stunning stage prequel to the Netflix series — already a hot ticket in London — takes place in 1959, when many of the series’ adult characters were teenagers in Hawkins, Indiana. Standout Louis McCartney leads a 34-person ensemble cast as Henry Creel, reprising his West End role. With an original story by Jack Thorne, Kate Trefry, and The Duffer Brothers and direction by Justin Martin and Stephen Daldry, Stranger Things: The First Shadow officially opens on April 22.

“In 1959 Hawkins, Indiana, the Creel family seeks a fresh start, especially their teenage son Henry, who is eager to escape his troubled past. Initially, things go well — he finds friendship and joins the school play. But when a wave of shocking crimes strikes the town, Henry is forced to confront a terrifying truth: is something inside him that connects him to the horrors unfolding around him? As this thrilling mystery races forward, shadows of the past are unleashed, relationships are tested, and the town of Hawkins faces the ultimate question: can the power of friendship outshine the darkness within?”

Who’s ready?!

Any news on a lottery/rush for the show?

$45 digital lottery confirmed, launching April 2.

$40 in-person rush begins tomorrow.

New pic on Instagram

'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' Documentary Goes Inside Making of Play

https://people.com/stranger-things-the-first-shadow-documentary-goes-inside-making-of-play-11704926

Not too far off from London but curious where it came in/comes in tonight.

I know they cut around 30 min in those previews.

Updated On: 3/28/25 at 11:02 PM

Yes. This will have Tony nominations, and very possible wins, for Best Director of a Play (Stephen Daldry & co-director Justin Martin), Best Set Design of a Play (Miriam Buether), Best Lighting Design of a Play (Jon Clark) & Best Sound Design of a Play (Paul Arditti).

Updated On: 3/29/25 at 01:20 AM

anyone take note of how high the stage is? We are looking at seats upfront but worried the stage could be too high...

suzycat said: "Any advice on where to sit?"

I would definitely say to watch this from the Mezzanine to fully enjoy the staging and effects.

Where in the Stranger Things timeline is this set? Is it pre-series (based on the title)? Should I refresh myself on the plot before I go?

Behind-the-scenes documentary to be released on Netflix April 15

Let’s start with the good news: nobody tripped over a Demogorgon. The show ran smoothly (if long), the effects occasionally impressed, and there are projections aplenty if that’s your thing. Unfortunately, that’s about where the upside ends—and not in the cool, alternate-dimension kind of way.

As both a longtime Stranger Things fan and a seasoned theatre-goer, I went into The First Shadow hoping for something thrilling, inventive, and emotionally rich. Instead, I left wondering if the real horror was just how long it all dragged on. At over three hours (with an intermission), the show throws a lot at the audience—except, curiously, a satisfying story.

Let’s talk about the cast. Bless them, truly. They scream for their lives for nearly the entire runtime. I’m sure it’s exhausting for them—but it’s equally exhausting for us. Whisper. Monologue. Anything. The emotional range desperately needs more variety than just “loud.”

The writing is flimsy—thin on plot, thinner on character. It lacks the wit, warmth, and cleverness that made the original series shine. Instead, it relies on trotting out younger versions of familiar faces (Young Joyce! Baby Hopper! Teenage Bob Newby!) without really giving them a purpose. It’s fan service without substance.

Visually, the technical elements offer occasional bursts of creativity—clever lightwork, motion-tracking, and staging that, at times, deliver real theatrical flair. But those moments are scattered. Most of the time, the production leans too heavily on layered projections and digital effects that feel flat and emotionally disconnected. The Upside Down, in particular, is shockingly unscary, stripped of any sense of threat or atmosphere. Instead of an eerie parallel world, it feels like someone dimmed the lights and started flipping through a screensaver slideshow.

In the end, this doesn’t feel like a show made for the stage—it feels like a streaming brand experiment dressed up for Broadway. It may evolve over the preview period (and I truly hope it does), but right now, it plays like Netflix accidentally pressed “stage adaptation” instead of “skip intro.”

I’d never watched the TV show so my prep for this was just reading an online synopsis of the various seasons - and I was absolutely knocked out. It’s just thrilling theatrical storytelling, involving, inventive and chilling. Some of the effects are stunning and Louis McCartney as Henry Creel delivers a star-making performance. I saw it in London at the Phoenix (a mid-sized house) and I think it may all ‘breathe’ a little better in the Marquis. Such an exciting, occasionally terrifying, piece of theatre.