After a critically acclaimed premiere in London’s West End in 2023 — where it is still running — “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” a play that serves as a prequel to the popular Netflix series, is set to open on April 22 at the Marquis Theater on Broadway.
Of course, fans of the show, which is set to release its fifth season later this year, are excited (though it’s small consolation for having to wait more than three years between seasons). But what if you can’t tell a Demobat from a Demogorgon? Can you plunge right in?
Here’s what you need to know about the TV series, how it informs the show and more.
What is the TV series about?
Set in the 1980s in the fictional town of Hawkins, Ind., the Netflix series follows a group of friends as they try to get to the root of supernatural forces and secret government experiments in their town. They discover an alternate dimension — the Upside Down — filled with monstrous creatures, who are not content to sit back and leave them well alone.
Over the course of four seasons, a cast anchored by Winona Ryder (Joyce Byers), David Harbour (Chief Jim Hopper), Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven, a young girl with mysterious powers) and Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson) save one another from the jaws of death while navigating the complexities of their relationships. (And, in Eleven’s case, eating lots of Eggo waffles.)
Where does the play fall in the timeline of the TV series?
It’s a prequel set in 1959 — 24 years before the start of the Netflix series — and centers on a character introduced in Season 4: Henry Creel, a troubled teenager with telepathic powers who will later become Vecna, the show’s primary antagonist.
Who wrote the play?
Kate Trefry, a writer on the TV show, wrote the script based on an original story she developed with Matt and Ross Duffer, who created the series, and with Jack Thorne (a Tony winner for “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” Thorne also wrote the recent Netflix hit mini-series “Adolescence”). The director is Stephen Daldry, a three-time Tony winner, for “The Inheritance,” “Billy Elliot,” and “An Inspector Calls”; Justin Martin is the co-director.
Which characters from the TV series are in the play?
You’ll meet high school versions of a number of familiar characters from the series’ adult cast, including James Hopper Jr. (Burke Swanson), Joyce Byers née Maldonado (Alison Jaye) and Bob Newby (Juan Carlos).
A younger version of the scientist Dr. Martin Brenner (Alex Breaux) is also in play, having been tasked with studying Henry Creel (Louis McCartney).
What is ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ about?
Henry Creel and his family have just arrived in Hawkins, seeking a fresh start — which proves more difficult than they expect. Meanwhile, the rebellious young Jim Hopper, the son of the town police chief, can’t seem to do anything right; the spunky Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and leave town, stat (but still has a thing for bad boys); and the tech nerd Bob is hopelessly in love with her. (She is oblivious.)
Soon enough, this tangle of typical teenage troubles butts up against a sinister alternate universe, the Upside Down. A wave of gruesome crimes strikes the town, which Jim, Joyce and Bob set out to solve, as Henry reckons with his troubled past, dark powers and the nagging suspicion that he has something to do with all of it.
Is the play canonical to the TV series?
Yes. Trefry, who wrote the script while also writing Seasons 4 and 5 of the TV series, has said the play acts as a bridge between Season 4 and the forthcoming Season 5. The plan is to reintroduce elements from the play in Season 5 so that everything will still make sense to people who haven’t seen the play.
Are any of the actors from the TV series in it?
No, but you can catch Sadie Sink, who plays the tomboyish skateboarder Max Mayfield, starring in “John Proctor Is the Villain” one block over at the Booth Theater.
What if I haven’t watched the TV series?
The show’s creators say the story is designed to be able to stand alone. But, having seen the show in London, I would strongly advise that you watch at least a few episodes of the series first — going in blind is akin to attending “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” a stage sequel that relies on knowledge of all seven books or films, without having any knowledge of them. You will only be getting part of the story.
Is it scary?
Like the Netflix series, the play balances horror and comedy. (Justin Martin, the play’s co-director, has cited “The Woman in Black” as an influence.) If you like jump scares, this show is for you!
What did critics in London think?
British critics were mostly enthusiastic: In The Sunday Times, Dominic Maxwell wrote that it was “a tremendous technical feat that is also moving, amusing and surprising,” while in The Daily Telegraph, the critic Dominic Cavendish called it “the theatrical event of the year.” The production also won two Olivier Awards — the British equivalent of the Tony Awards — for best entertainment or comedy play and best set design.
But in The New York Times, the critic Houman Barekat was unimpressed, describing it as “a gaudy, vertiginous fairground ride of a play.”
(Reviews for the Broadway production will come out April 22, when the show is slated to open.)
Is this the same show that’s running in London?
Mostly, yes. The characters and plot are the same, though the show is 15 minutes shorter — two hours and 45 minutes on Broadway compared with three hours across the pond — after the creative team did some nipping and tucking.
They are also making some changes to the physical production in previews, including adding a couple of illusions and reworking scenes to take advantage of a bigger theater.
The cast — with the exception of Louis McCartney, who reprises his performance as Henry Creel from the original West End production — is different as well, and the characters are not carbon copies of their West End versions. Hopper, for one, has much more vulnerability here, Martin, the play’s co-director, said in a recent interview.
“You’re seeing a second draft,” he said. “This time around, having all the knowledge from the West End, it was about, how do we now push this idea further, or how do we achieve this illusion that didn’t quite work?”
“It’s the same story,” he added, “But I just think it’s richer and deeper.”
Where is the show?
“The First Shadow” is at the Marquis Theater on West 46th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue. The theater is inside the Marriott Marquis Hotel, on the third floor (enter through the lobby, then take the escalators up).
Looking for the stage door to meet the actors after the show? It’s on 45th Street, across from the Minskoff Theater, where “The Lion King” is playing.
How do I get cheap tickets?
Same-day rush tickets are $40 and available in person at the Marquis Theater box office on a first-come, first-served basis, up to two per person. The box office generally opens at 10 a.m., and you’ll want to get there before then — possibly well before then — to join the line.
The show also has an online lottery, which offers $45 tickets for every performance, up to two per entry (you can enter once per day). It opens at 10 a.m. the day before each performance and closes at 2 p.m. that same day.
In both cases, you can increase your odds of winning by trying on a day when there are two performances scheduled (generally Saturdays).
I just want to know: Will I hear that earworm-y theme music?
Yes. Rest assured, the play makes liberal use of the Netflix show’s signature electro-ethereal theme music. (The floating red letters also make an appearance.)