The London stage production based on Stranger things has announced the cast and set dates for the start of previews and the formal opening.
Stranger Things: The First Shadowa prequel to the Netflix hit set in 1959, begins previews at the Phoenix Theater in London’s West End on November 17, with an opening date of December 14. Rehearsals for the play, written by Kate Telfry and directed by Stephen Daldry and co-director Justin Martin, are underway.
“It is a pleasure to discover the world of Stranger Things: The First Shadow with our immensely talented cast and watch the alchemy grow between our entire company as we explore this new play together,” Daldry and Martin said in a statement. “They are an extremely talented group of actors, and we can’t wait to share this origin story with audiences.”
The first shadow With Shane Attwooll, Christopher Buckley, Michael Jibson, Oscar Lloyd, Louis McCartney, Isabella Pappas, Patrick Vaill, Lauren Ward and Ella Karuna Williams. The ensemble also includes Kemi Awoderu, 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.
“The cast of Stranger Things: The First Shadow is nothing short of phenomenal,” said Stranger things creators Matt and Ross Duffer. “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 life. We couldn’t be happier and can’t wait for you all to meet them live on stage. See you in London, nerds!”
The logline of the piece: “Hawkins, 1959: an ordinary 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 move out of town. When new student Henry Creel (McCartney) arrives, his family finds that making a fresh start isn’t so easy… and that the shadows of the past reach far and wide.’
Netflix announced the stage production, its first attempt at live theater, in July 2022 and is presenting the play together with Sonia Friedman Productions. Telfry, a writer and executive producer of the TV series, wrote the play from a story by the Duffer brothers, Jack Thorne and Telfry. The Duffers are creative producers, and Stranger things EP Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Entertainment is associate producer.
