Stranger Things The First Shadow Review

Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a prequel to the Netflix series Stranger Things, but draws heavily upon the lore of the 4th season. I'm going to try and avoid spoilers for both the play and the series as best as I can in case you plan to start watching it. However, there are plot points I cannot tiptoe around that are relevant for this review!


If you're not a fan of the Netflix show, or you haven't seen season 4, this play isn't for you and it won't be easy to follow. It's not mandatory viewing or anything, but it does answer some lingering questions; the script purportedly went through several rewrites to avoid spoiling season 5 plot points. I would imagine that Netflix’s writers will address these in their next season, since not everyone can afford to attend a Broadway or West End show.


I love Stranger Things, so when the transfer of this West End show was announced, I knew that I had to take my best friend Rachel with me. She introduced me to the show 10 years ago, so this felt like it had come full circle.


The First Shadow is a Phantom of the Opera-level spectacle, in every sense of the word ‘spectacle,’ and I expected nothing less from the team behind the special effects at Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The special effects are genuinely mind-blowing, from the opening with a boat and an army of scary creatures known as Demogorgons to the gargantuan mind-flayer puppet that got an "OH MY GOD!" out of me. My jaw hit the floor repeatedly throughout the show. I couldn't believe what I was seeing or guess how it was accomplished on a stage. I know the show received a Tony for the special effects and optical illusions, in addition to all of the well-deserved technical awards. The senses were overwhelmed, in the best way possible.


One of my favorite design choices is how the sets transitioned so seamlessly from our world into an alternate dimension setting (which the Netflix show refers to as The Upside Down, or Dimension X), with specific musical and lighting cues each time Henry slips into The Upside Down. As the protagonist descends deeper into madness, and the Upside Down and its inhabitants get a tighter grip on him and his mind, you can hear slight shifts in the music.


While The First Shadow is not a musical, the scope of the show feels similar to that of a musical, with music used to set the mood and convey the time period. There is some singing as part of the plot involving the production of a school play as part of the central love story, as well as a side plot featuring a nightclub singer. Audiences hear many old-timey classics (Purple People Eater, Rock Around the Clock, etc), and there are short quotes of the now-iconic theme music in the score. The biggest treat was the opening theme to the TV show blasted through speakers as the opening credits sequence played on a giant screen. The audience roared with applause and I teared up upon hearing it.


Like the Netflix show, The First Shadow is quite scary, with jump scares, monsters, and grotesque makeup. The play pays tribute to the great horror and science fiction movies and novels of the late 50s and 60s, with lots of references to Grease, Scooby Doo, The Thing, The Blob, The Creature From The Black Lagoon, and others, with the Goonies influences most prominent both on stage and on Netflix. I was in absolute fan girl heaven, having a blast picking out the references and easter eggs. 


Matt and Ross Duffer, who wrote the TV show, helped write the script for The First Shadow, and their love and passion for the material comes through in a very strong book. Although its run time of nearly 3 hours threatened to drag, earning it the dubious honor of the longest show I've seen, The First Shadow moved at a rapid pace and kept me on my toes. There are times it gets a tad silly or campy, but it works marvelously, especially when certain characters are involved.


With so many amazing performances, this is truly an ensemble piece. I wish I could write about every single performer, but then this review would be a novel.


WARNING: THE BELOW PARAGRAPHS CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS FOR STRANGER THINGS 4


The star of this show (aside from the special effects 😆) is Louis McCartney as a young Henry Creel, who later becomes very important in season 4 of the Netflix show. McCartney originated his role on the West End and won the Oliver award, and this young man has a very promising career ahead of him. His performance was dynamic, charismatic, thrilling, and complex. I never thought I'd walk away caring at all about a psychopath like Henry Creel. His physicality in this role is also a wonder to behold, with scenes where he is seizing, convulsing, or where effects are coming out of his costumes, and he sells it so well, completely losing himself in the role. He almost has a deadpan quality, reminiscent of Tom Francis in the outstanding revival of Sunset Boulevard. McCartney also nails the vocal nuances of his TV counterpart. Henry Creel is flawlessly portrayed in the TV show by the magnificent Jamie Campbell Bower, and McCartney nails the vocal nuances that Jamie gave the character on TV. Bower even gave McCartney his seal of approval, and I look forward to seeing McCartney in this role again and again as I bring more friends to see this show. When my friend and I met McCartney at the stage door, he was a gem and very sweet.


Alison Jaye was energetic, manic and hyperactive as Joyce Maldonado (known as Joyce Byers in the Netflix show and played by the legendary Winona Ryder). Jaye channels Ryder’s performance, especially from the first season, in which Joyce was still grappling with her divorce from her cheating husband and trying to get her life together. We also start to see breadcrumbs of a love triangle from the show’s second season. Jaye, like McCartney, nails her Netflix counterpart’s vocal nuances. She imitates Ryder so well, I had to remind myself that Jaye’s not her, she is that good!


One of my biggest standouts was Alex Breau as Papa, aka Dr. Martin Brenner, the primary antagonist in the Netflix show. He doesn't show up until the very end of the first act, but makes quite the impression. His introduction got lots of gasps, presumably because he doesn't look at all like Mathew Modine, so I think people genuinely didn't realize who he was. As his character gets more fleshed out, you really see the monster behind the man, and the man behind the monster. They don't humanize him the same way they do with Henry and they certainly don't try to make you feel bad for him. I didn't want them to, since I enjoy hating Dr. Brenner. You really see just how awful he is through his slick manipulation of Henry and his family. His sick and twisted relationship with Henry made my skin crawl and my stomach twist. He was bone-chilling, and I cannot wait to see what they do with his character in season 5.


With a lack of marketing leading up to Season 5, this play felt like a love letter from the Duffers and Netflix to the fans. Rachel and I were so happy, and judging by the energy in that theater, everyone else felt the same. The energy was unreal. There is something special about sitting in a room full of fans who are passionate about the material they're watching, and Stranger Things fans are, in my experience, incredibly passionate!


Overall, Stranger Things: The First Shadow is an incredible theatrical experience. I'll be seeing it multiple times. I may even try to catch it the weekend before season 5 comes out — imagine that energy.

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