Stranger Things: The First Shadow opened on stage in December 2023 in London’s Phoenix Theater under director Jon Halperin. The prequel to the Stranger Things television series reached a new milestone as the cast started performances on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on March 28, ahead of an official opening on April 22.
From this milestone comes a behind-the-scenes documentary titled Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things: The First Shadow, premiering on Netflix on April 15. The film will reveal what went into the stage production that opened on the West End almost two years prior.
The production, written by Kate Trefry and directed by Stephen Daldry and co-directed by Justin Martin and playwright Jack Thorne, describes the plot as follows:
“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 there something inside him that connects him to the horrors unfolding around him?”
Fans of Stranger Things may remember Henry Creel from season four's flashback to the 1950s. He was the teenage boy (Raphael Luce) who seemed harmless until he revealed his true self. He isn't as innocent as he looks. Once he taps into his powers, he starts wreaking havoc on his new home, later becoming Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). Essentially, his family moved to Hawkins in the late '50s to give their family a fresh start, but Henry had other plans as viewers came to learn. He wasn't cute and harmless; he was reckless and lethal.
After the success of two actors taking on the role of Henry Creel in the television series, Louis McCarthy stepped into the role for the stage production of The First Shadow. Henry's story takes center stage as the cast, crew, writers, and creators tell an onstage version of young Henry's life in 1959.
Not only does the play dive into Henry's past but also notable younger versions of other Stranger Things characters: Patty Newby (Ella Karuna Williams), Joyce Maldonado (Isabella Pappas), Jim Hopper Jr. (Oscar Lloyd), and Bob Newby (Christopher Buckley) make up part of the cast along with the Creel family and many others. Although the Netflix documentary will cover the cast from the London shows, the Broadway cast isn't the same.
While fans eagerly await the return of Stranger Things season 5, we can fill the void with The First Shadow documentary in a matter of weeks. Anything from the Duffer Brothers' creative minds is sure to please. We'll keep following updates about all things Stranger Things, especially the television series, with hopeful hearts for more content.