Stranger Things is taking on the West End.
New stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow is coming to London’s West End Dec. 14 at the Phoenix Theatre with previews starting Nov. 17. First look photos feature principal cast members Ella Karuna Williams, Louis McCartney, Oscar Lloyd, Isabella Pappas, Christopher Buckley, Louis McCartney, Patrick Vaill, Michael Jibson, Louis McCartney and Lauren Ward.
Other principals include Shane Attwooll, Kemi Awoderu, Chase Brown, Ammar Duffus, Gilles Geary, Florence Guy, Max Harwood, Lauren Ward, Maise Norma Seaton, Matthew Pidgeon, and Calum Ross. Additional cast include Tricia Adele-Turner, Lauren Arney, Reya-Nyomi Brown, Patricia Castro, Lydia Fraser, Isaac Gryn, Mark Hammersley, Tom Peters, Kingdom Sibanda, Tiana Simone, Danny Sykes and Meesha Turner.
Directed by Stephen Daldry and co-directed by Justin Martin, the story by Kate Tefry takes place nearly 30 years prior to the current 1980s storyline in Stranger Things. This time, audiences find odd goings on in Hawkins in 1959, when the adults of the town are just children. According to the description:
Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. 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.
Brought to life by a multi-award-winning creative team, who take theatrical storytelling and stagecraft to a whole new dimension, this gripping new adventure will take you right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story – and may hold the key to the end.
For fans who are worried about continuity, the fact that the stage play hints at having clues to that could affect the series might make this prime viewing. American fans will have to do their best to learn about the play’s secrets from British fans who will get to see the play for themselves.
Daldry and Martin said in a statement, “With rehearsals now underway, it’s a joy to discover the world of Stranger Things: The First Shadow with our ferociously talented cast and watch the alchemy amongst our entire company grow as we together explore this new play. They’re an extraordinarily gifted group of actors, and we can’t wait to share this origin story with audiences.”
The Duffer Brothers also added, “The cast of Stranger Things: The First Shadow is nothing short of phenomenal. These actors brilliantly explore the early days of many fan favorites – including Hopper, Joyce, Bob, Henry and Dr. Brenner – while also bringing new characters to vivid life. We couldn’t be more thrilled and can’t wait for you to meet them all live on stage. See you in London, nerds!”
The stage play is produced by Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions.