The First Shadow production first debuted across the pond in December 2023 at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End—the play scored an impressive five Olivier Award nominations and took home statuettes in the Best New Entertainment or Comedy Play and Best Set Design categories. Co-directed by three-time Tony Award winner Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliott, The Inheritance) and BAFTA winner Justin Martin (Prima Facie, Kyoto), with a script from screenwriter Kate Trefry. Trefry is well-versed in the Stranger Things universe, having joined the TV series as a staff writer in Season 2 before working her way up to an executive producer. The theatrical adaptation received critical acclaim when it opened in England with The Daily Telegraph calling it “a game-changing experience,” while The Observer proclaimed the show “takes theatre to the next dimension.”
Fans stateside will get to see if Stranger Things: The First Shadow lives up to that hype when theater doors open, but until then, let’s dig into exactly how The First Shadow connects and deviates from the larger Stranger Things world.
Stranger Things castNetflix
As for the official plot synopsis: in 1950s 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 something inside him that connects him to the horrors unfolding around him?”
“We just never had the time in the show to explore Henry's backstory in that kind of depth,” Stranger Things co-creator Ross Duffer previously told Tudum. “So the first idea was to explore Henry's backstory and then we realized he would be the same age as a teenage Joyce and Hopper and Bob, which is something we always wanted to do. We love the ’50s almost as much, if not more than the ’80s. So it was an excuse to do something in this time period and to explore what they were up to in high school.”
When does Stranger Things: The First Shadow take place?
While the original Netflix series is awash in 1980s pop-culture references, Stranger Things: The First Shadow will take things back even further—it’s set in 1959, several decades earlier than the TV show. Given that timeframe, audiences will be encountering several familiar faces from the larger Stranger Things universe, albeit much younger than when we first met them in the TV series. That means fans will get a new perspective on older characters, exploring events that happened long before the main series.
Stranger Things charactersNetflix
Which Stranger Things characters will be in Stranger Things: The First Shadow?
Jim Hopper (played in the Netflix series by David Harbour)Joyce Byers (memorably portrayed on the small screen by the iconic Winona Ryder)Bob Newby (performed by Sean Astin for the TV show)Dr. Brenner (a sinister scientist originated by Matthew Modine)Henry Creel (like Eleven, Henry possesses extraordinary telepathic powers but uses them for evil, later morphing into the malevolent mastermind Vecna—portrayed onscreen in the fourth series by Jamie Campbell Bower and Raphael Luce.)
Other recognizable members of the larger Stranger Things universe involved in the play will be younger versions of Mike and Nancy’s parents, Ted and Karen Wheeler; Henry Creel’s parents, Victor and Virginia; Lucas and Erica’s parents, Charles and Sue Sinclair (née Anderson); Dustin’s mom Claudia Henderson (née Yount) and Joyce’s ex-husband and the father of Will and Jonathan, Lonnie Byers.
Related: Hey Mouthbreathers, We've Got the 45 Best 'Stranger Things' Quotes by Character—Everyone From Eleven to Eddie!
Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers in 'Stranger Things'Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix
How does Joyce Byers connect to the Strangers Things Broadway show?
Though the TV series sees Joyce as a middle-aged single mother of two sons, Jonathan and Will Byers—the latter’s disappearance kicks off the entire Stranger Things mystery, you’ll remember—the stage show will see Joyce as a high schooler living in Hawkins, Indiana, more than two decades before the events of the TV show.
Related: 'Stranger Things' Cast Reveals Homage to Late Kobe Bryant in Season 5 Set Tour Video
Vecna, a villain from 'Stranger Things'Netflix
Is Jamie Campbell Bower in Stranger Things: The First Shadow?
However, the British actor reportedly did give kudos to his theatrical counterpart, meeting actor Louis McCartney—who plays young Henry Creel in the play—during a preview of the stage production. “It's like Jamie's given me his baby and he's asked me to nurture it and see what I can do with it,” McCartney told Tudum. “And, man, when he came on stage, he was in tears and he was really, really pleased with it. Jamie's a fabulous guy. He's a great actor, but he's a really genuine guy and he was just very supportive and it was a sigh of relief. It was like my feet had got settled and then I was like, okay, I'm on the right track and let's see what else I can do.”
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Louis McCartney—a West End carryover who will reprise his acclaimed performance as Henry CreelAlison Jaye (Shameless) as Joyce MaldonadoBurke Swanson (Back to the Future: The Musical) as Jim HopperJuan Carlos as Bob NewbyAlex Breaux as Dr. BrennerRosie Benton (Patriots) as Virginia CreelT. R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy) as Victor CreelEmmy nominee Gabrielle Nevaeh as Patty NewbyAndrew Hovelson (Lucky Guy) as Principal NewbyRobert T. Cunningham as Charles SinclairAyana Cymone as Sue AndersonIan Dolley (The Holdovers) as Walter HendersonDora Dolphin as Karen ChildresLogan Gould (The Corps) as Lonnie ByersShea Grant as Claudia YountJamie Martin Mann as Ted Wheeler
How to buy tickets for Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Tickets are currently available for purchase on the show's website, with tickets currently available through November 2025.
Related: 'Stranger Things' Is Done Filming for Good
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