After making its London debut in December 2023 Stranger Things The First Shadow has received rave reviews and finally this week we got to see it for ourselves at the Phoenix Theatre in London.
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. From Netflix and the multi-award-winning Broadway producer Sonia Friedman Productions comes Stranger Things: The First Shadow.
A beautiful and regal theatre in Charing Cross, so unsuspecting from the exterior the theatre opens up much like a Tardis and transports you to a world of theatre days gone by.
Such beautiful stylings with hints of Stranger Things dotted around the place such as the convenience counter named Scoops Ahoy after the Star Court Mall ice cream parlour in the show of the same name.
The First Shadow takes place in 1959, a whole 24 years before the setting for the first season of Stranger Things and focuses heavily on the backstory of Henry Creel who fans will know grows up to become Vecna.
We go back to Henry’s school days when he attended school with some familiar Hawkins residents such as Joyce Maldonado (Joyce Byers in the series), James Hopper Jr who becomes police chief just like his father in the Stranger Things series.
What I loved about Stranger Things The First Shadow was just how much of a technical marvel the production was. The show never dived straight into a musical at any given moment but instead gave us chapter breakdowns just like the show did.
First Shadow’s opening sequence ‘The Philadelphia Experiment’ touches on a real-life case of a US naval ship disappearing but in the show takes a trip to the upside down with the transition between the normal world and the upside down being a very cool lighting effect which depicts the ‘switching’ of worlds.
After a very impressive opening, the show relies heavily on strong performances throughout and whilst there is a lull here and there (especially in the first act) the show ramps up in intensity and brings us that Stranger Things tension and creature feature brilliance that made the show so successful.
I wasn’t a big fan of the lulls but they are necessary to building Henry’s backstory and his school love interest whilst at the same time battling his own inner demons and the possession of an otherworldly force taking over his body and transforming him into a monster.
The First Shadow is an original story by show creators the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne and Kate Trefry, we are still in Hawkins, Indiana and pets are suddenly dying all over the town.
Littered with mystery, intrigue and hints of comedy this story is weaved wonderfully and those who have never seen Stranger Things before will have no problem following this back story and it gives a whole new context to the series.
After seeing the show we started the first episode of Stranger Things when I got home and instantly something Joyce says at the start of the show when she hears Will’s voice on the phone through static now has a deeper meaning with the theatre show adding much more context to the show.
If you have seen the theatre show I’d highly suggest watching the series again as it does fill in the blanks and answers many unanswered questions about not only the residents of Hawkins but Henry Creel’s motives.
Giving Henry Creel a love interest is certainly a storyline I didn’t see coming as he is enrolled in a school production despite being a bit of an oddball. It’s a shame as he originally just started as a strange kid but still has compassion and the ability to love but is fighting against this dark force that is slowly changing his personality and causing him to do unspeakable acts on the resident’s pets before upgrading to human targets.
A dazzling display of technical marvel Stranger Things First Shadow certainly has many jaw-dropping moments with one scene including a theatre rafter being a real ‘Holy S**t’ moment. In a similar vein to Back to the Future the Musical I instantly hopped onto Google to find out how this incredible effect was done and I still can’t find the answers my curious mind desires!
First Shadow has a lot more swearing and creepy moments than an age rating of 12 may suggest, the nervy moments are some of the most gripping I’ve seen on stage as it put many other horror shows I’ve seen such as The Exorcist and The Woman in Black to shame. Those latter two were pretty poor in comparison to this and they perfected the balance of creepy, jaw-dropping and dotting in the comedy elements to relieve the tension was cleverly done.
Isabella Pappas blew me away as Joyce, her voice was an absolute spitting image of Winona Ryder’s character in the show and the young Louis McCartney who had never stepped foot on stage before getting this role was astounding. What a way to make your stage debut!
The First Shadow ends beautifully with a scene taking place in Hawkins lab as we are introduced to the series title character for the first time and it’s here where this beautiful show ends with fans in awe just as much as first-timers. It is quite special despite the first-act lulls that are tidied up before the interval and ramped up tenfold in the second act.
This is the stage at its finest and Stranger Things The First Shadow is worth your time and attention, I had an absolute blast and for those who love their merchandise I found the pricing to be quite reasonable apart from a plush toy of a Demogorgan which was an absolute rip off, but that aside everything else was reasonably priced for a London show.
Jaw-dropping and beautifully delivered, turn that wallet upside down empty out the cash and go and see this spectacular London show!
Our Rating
Summary
A technical marvel! Wonderfully acted The First Shadow appeals to newbies as well as seasoned series veterans alike. Jaw-dropping moments and special effects combine to create one of London’s most exciting stage shows!
