Stranger Things The First Shadow - Pheonix Theatre - Review

How do you take of the biggest Netflix mega hits, one that has a huge following and countless fans, and put it on stage without feeling copycat like and being presented as some jumping on the bandwagon of popularity game? A difficult task, but one that Kate Trefry and Jack Thorne alongside the Duffer Brothers have tackled head on, taking Stranger Things and diving deeper into the world of Hawkins, monsters and the upside down. Stranger Things The First Shadow isn’t the story of Eleven simply lifted from the tv show and put onto the Pheonix Theatre stage, no this is a prequel taking us into the teenage lives of Hopper, Joyce,  parents of the show’s core group and their friends, alongside the strange new boy in town, one Henry Creel.

It’s Hawkins Indiana in the late 1950s, Bob Newby (Max Potter) is trying to make it as a radio host, Joyce Maldonado (Edie Wright) wants to get out of town as soon as possible, seeing directing the school play as her ticket, James Hopper Junior (Adam Wadsworth) is the cool kid fixing up cars and Bob’s sister Patty (Avril Maponga) is simply trying to fit in. But when the Creel family move into one of the town’s grandest homes and strange things start to occur in the dead of night, it would seem that life in Hawkins will never be the same again.

From the moment you step into the Phoenix theatre, you are immersed in the world of Stranger Things. The bar is Scoops Ahoy, clocks and shadows decorate the walls and themed posters line the corridors and stairways. Audience members proudly wear branded shirts and delight over the merchandise and there is a sense of excitement in the air. There is a sense of being surrounded by those who know the television phenomenon inside and out, and the masterfully crafted production that unfolds adds so much more to the tv show that we love.

The story centres around Henry Creel, with his family moving from Nevada to Indiana under suspicious circumstances. Wide eyed, baby faced and the picture of shattered innocence, Stanley Treshansky’s Henry Creel is that strange kid, that kid that others feel strangely uneasy around and that kid who prefers his own company over that of his peers. Balanced between teenage awkwardness and something much darker, Treshansky’s performance is captivating with every movement, every look,  perfectly placed and intricately intentional. His connection with Avril Maponga’s Patty Newby is cleverly presented as touching, whilst walking the tightrope of doomed to fail, all of which relies on the pre-existing understanding of an audience of fans. Maponga, playing a character new to the story, creates a character that both fits and strikes a chord of independence, a sense of a square peg in a round hole in a school and town where everyone has their place.

Edie Wright takes on the role of Joyce Maldonado, the passionate and driven young women with big ideas and a habit of breaking the rules. Wright gives the character the natural vibes of a born leader, both in directing the school play and creating a strange crime solving trio with James Hopper and Bob Newby. It’s no mean feat to take on the task of playing the younger versions of characters that are so well known and so loved, but Wright, Adam Wadsworth and Max Potter take it in the strides, both making the characters their own and paying tribute of sorts of their television counterparts. Potter’s Bob earns many of laugh for his awkwardness and geekiness, whilst Wadsworth cool kid demeanour makes him the man about town. Throughout we are also introduced to a number of names familiar to fans of the show including Wheeler, Henderson, Sinclair and Munson.

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It wouldn’t be Stranger Things without the strange and ever looming presence of the strange lab on the outskirts of town, and there is a thrill of excitement that ripples through the audience as Stewart Clarke steps onto the stage as Dr Brenner, a powerful performance that has the audience on the edge of their seats.

When the television show is so heavily dependent on special effects, green screen and computer generated graphics, it’s hard to imagine how all of that could possibly transfer to the stage. That is, until you see it, and any doubt you may have is catapulted out of your mind. The special effects and stage magic in this production is simply extraordinary. From vast elements that seemingly appear from nowhere, lighting effects that earn gasps and applaud and several moments that leave you wondering how on earth they made it work, you are hanging on every second, completely immersed. This raises the bar of what is possible to do on stage.

Before seeing the production, I had my concerns about how scary it would be, but found myself pleasantly surprised. Of course it has its moments, jump scares that catch you unaware but thanks to clever writing and action that is continuously moving forwards, I found myself jumping and then laughing, getting a thrill instead of a major scare. There are some twisted moments that could be easily described as gross and grim, but again you can giggle and squirm instead of feeling uncomfortable. It’s all very clever, designed to keep you involved rather than scared, keeping you wrapped up in the narrative instead of jumping out of the moment.

Stranger Things The First Shadow is prime example of how a stage production can act as a perfect companion to the tv show, instead of simply being a remake or reconstruction. The story is wickedly clever, and although those like myself who obsess over tiny details may walk away with a new realisation of many a plot hole in season 5 of the tv show, you can find great enjoyment in how this story adds so much to the world of Stranger Things. The special effects, alongside the greatly impressive performances especially that of Treshansky as Henry, will have you hanging on every word and marvelling over every moment. There is something magical in wondering how something is done, whilst having no desire whatsoever in actually finding out, we want that magic to remain just that.

Stranger Things The First Shadow runs until 23rd December 2026, and whilst I wonder if it would ever be possible to tour a production of such scale, with all its effects in tow, I hope that this isn’t the last that we see of it. With the fandom of Stranger Things remaining as strong as ever, I’d be very surprised if it lingers in the shadows for too long.

Images featured in this review were found via google and feature various different casts.