Stranger Things: The First Shadow Finally Coming To America
Stranger Things fans are accustomed to waiting very long times between seasons, and at this point, many of us would settle for almost any new story set in this nostalgia-tinged universe. Now, American audiences can finally enjoy a story that expands this series’ lore through the most unexpected medium of all: the stage. Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a play with a story from the Duffer Brothers, and it will premiere on Broadway in 2025.
The Arrival Of Vecna
Just what the heck is Stranger Things: The First Shadow all about? Put simply, this is a prequel story set when some of our older protagonists were younger and when Hawkins was just a regular town. However, the arrival of young Henry Creel (the future Lord Vecna himself) threatens to disrupt this quiet town, and the events after his arrival will continue to ripple through Hawkins decades after this 1959 story.
If you’re not all that keen to learn Vecna’s back story, then the biggest reason to check out this play is to learn more about some of our favorite heroes in the series.
The Adventures Of Young Hopper
The play features younger versions of beloved characters like Jim Hopper and Joyce Maldonado (later Joyce Byers) when they have much more mundane things to worry about than government experiments and children with fantastic powers. For example, he has to worry about his car not starting (we can really sympathize with that one, Hop), and she is focused entirely on graduating and escaping Hawkins for good.
Translating The Show To The Stage
While this doesn’t magically make the story engaging, one of the notable aspects of Stranger Things: The First Shadow is that it has a very impressive budget. The play is co-produced by Netflix, and that means plenty of impressive special effects that attempt (and largely succeed) to translate the expensive TV show to a stage play format.
Because of the strong emphasis on special effects, this play is often compared to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which similarly used major special effects to faithfully recreate the Wizarding World that the Harry Potter movies so effectively fleshed out onscreen.
An Award-Winning Production
As for the story of Stranger Things: The First Shadow (which was written by Kate Trefry based on a story from franchise creators the Duffer Brothers), its quality depends on who you ask. The play has already impressed many critics in London, and it has earned some prestigious awards, including a WhatsOnStage Award for “Best New Play” and two Laurence Olivier Awards: one for “Best Set Design” and one for “Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.” The New York Times was less charitable in their review, calling the play a “gaudy” production full of “cheap thrills” that may impress “die-hard fans” but not necessarily general audiences.
The End Of Stranger Things
We’ll see how well Stranger Things: The First Shadow plays in America once it hits Broadway, and if you want to experience Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin’s play for yourself, tickets go on sale in September. Considering that we don’t yet have a firm release date for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things (Netflix is likely to release it in 2025), this play might soon be the only game in town for fans hoping to experience more of this Upside Down world. And if you end up in the nosebleed section, don’t worry…you can just tell everyone you’re cosplaying Eleven.
