Stranger Things: The First Shadow

by Kate Trefry
original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne and Kate Trefry
based on the Netflix series created by the Duffer Brothers
Phoenix Theatre, London

Welcome to Hawkins, nerds!

Combining elements of Gothic storytelling with 1980s retro appeal, Netflix horror/science fiction series Stranger Things has gained a huge global following over its past four seasons. The adventure continues in this new play which has taken the West End by storm. Creators the Duffer Brothers wanted to deliver a play that feels like a mega television episode and director Stephen Daldry and writer Kate Trefry have done exactly that.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow acts an origin story for Henry Creel, who later evolves into Vecna, the series arch-villain and ruler of alternate dimension The Upside Down. Set in 1959, we follow the awkward, teenage Henry as he arrives in Hawkins and his interactions with fellow students at Hawkins High as they prepare for a school play. He feels distanced from his family and establishes an immediate connection with the principal's adopted daughter Patty Newby, another outsider just like him. From the outset, we realise that something is not quite right with Henry: he keeps having mental episodes filled with otherworldly creatures and when people's pets are found dead and deformed, something has to be done.

Enter Joyce Maldonado, Bobby Newby and James Hopper Jr, three kids at the high school who take on the role of detective to try to piece together the mystery. Meanwhile, Henry's parents decide the only person who can treat their son is a scientist of dubious morals running a research facility: Dr Brenner.

As much as this is billed as a standalone story which requires no prior knowledge of the series, it is probably best appreciated by fans who are able to draw connections between the characters and appreciate the inside jokes. Many of the students in the play, for example, are in fact the parents of the kids in the series and channel some of their mannerisms. There is fantastic work by the ensemble cast, especially Isabella Pappas as the forthright Joyce (a dead ringer for her adult counterpart Winona Ryder in the series), Ella Kauna Williams as an earnest Patty searching for answers about her past and Louis McCartney in an astonishing professional stage debut as Henry, all piercing stares and jerky movements.

Daldry gives us a funny, thrilling production that is faithful to the story and chock-full of extravagant visuals and effects (Netflix is a co-producer after all). Miriam Buether's set uses the full height of the stage and almost resembles a giant TV screen at times, a rotating drum is cleverly employed to show scenes from different angles and the action even spills into the audience, creating an engaging and immersive experience. However, at three hours, the narrative feels a little too long and the jump-cuts one is used to seeing on screen as we move between different scenes do not translate quite as seamlessly on stage. Engrossing as it is, the story feels like it could be much tighter.

All in all, Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a wonderful extension of the universe, filling in gaps in the storyline and leaving just enough questions to ensure audiences are primed for the upcoming fifth and final season. I predict a successful Broadway transfer and a whole new generation of fans for the Netflix juggernaut.

The Crystalwords score: 4/5