The London-based production of Stranger Things has unveiled its cast and set the date for the first previews and the official opening night. Titled The First Shadow, the performance is set to kick off previews in November in the British capital.
What are the details available about ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’?
Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a prequel to the Netflix series set in 1959, will begin previews on November 17 at London’s West End’s Phoenix Theatre, with an opening date of December 14. Rehearsals for Kate Telfry’s play, directed by Stephen Daldry with co-director Justin Martin, are currently ongoing.
Shane Attwooll, Christopher Buckley, Michael Jibson, Oscar Lloyd, Louis McCartney, Isabella Pappas, Patrick Vaill, Lauren Ward, and Ella Karuna Williams feature in The First Shadow. Chase Brown, Ammar Duffus, Gilles Geary, Florence Guy, Max Harwood, Matthew Pidgeon, Calum Ross, Maisie Norma Seaton, 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 round out the cast.
“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!”
Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer
What is the synopsis of the ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’?
The logline for the play reads: “Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper’s (Lloyd) car won’t start, Bob Newby’s (Buckley) sister (Williams) won’t take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado (Pappas) just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel (McCartney) arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy … and the shadows of the past have a very long reach.”
Netflix announced that the production, its first foray into live theater, will take place in July 2022, and will be presented in collaboration with Sonia Friedman Productions. The play was written by Telfry, a writer and executive producer of the TV show, based on a plot by the Duffer brothers, Jack Thorne, and Telfry. Stranger Things EP Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Entertainment is an associate producer, as is The Duffers.