Casting a Light on the Suspense and Spectacle of STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW

Things are about to get strange on Broadway. Direct from its acclaimed run in London's West End, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a new play directed by Stephen Daldry and co-directed by Justin Martin, is getting ready to thrill audiences in The Upside Down America this season.

The events of the play directly tie into the narrative of the Netflix show, which is set to release its 5th and final season in 2025. About the creation of the play, writer Kate Trefry shared with BroadwayWorld, "It seemed really out of left field to me, but once I got into the story, I can’t imagine it not existing. Now it’s so tied to the universe, it’s such an integral part. It’s really important to the whole season."

Co-director Justin Martin commented on the process of putting the production together, stating, "What we’ve really tried to do is create a live version of the series without going, 'This is a play.' So, it’s really pushed us to be as imaginative and creative as we can, and I think we’ve done something that’s extraordinary. I love it."

The play is focused on the central question, are monsters born... or made? 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? 

The production first opened in the West End in 2023. Trefry and Martin shared with BroadwayWorld their hope that Stranger Things: The First Shadow will bring an entirely new audience to Broadway.

"It’s something like 60 or 70% of the audience in London have never been to the theater before." Trefry stated. "And if we get them to see one of the play, then we’ve done a huge thing. The big thing for us is we built it for an American audience, it was always meant to be for an American audience.

So, what can audiences expect to see? Producer Sonia Friedman revealed, "I think audiences who haven’t seen theatre before literally will not believe we’ve achieved what we’ve achieved technically, physically, in terms of the magic, the illusion, the spectacle." 

Friedman went on to share that while the show's design is spectacular, it's the storytelling that will really reach audiences. "It’s literally a roller coaster of emotions, and experiences, and feelings, and vibrations as you watch this show. So, I hope, like I’ve done with other pieces, that this will introduce a whole new generation of theatre-goers."

Stranger Things: The First Shadow will open on April 22, 2025 at the Marquis Theatre. View the full 2025 Spring Preview!