Netflix's Stranger Things Stage Play Will Explore The Origins Of The Upside Down
Happy Geeked Week to all who celebrate. What, did you believe we could go straight from Halloween to Christmas season without paying fealty to our streaming overlords? Think again! That's right, this week marks the third installment of the now-annual Netflix celebration of Geeked Week, and with it comes five full days of "exclusive news, sneak peeks, and surprises from some of Netflix's most anticipated movies, shows, and games." First on the docket, apparently, is some eye-catching news about the biggest Netflix original of them all, just in time for "Stranger Things" Day.
The wildly popular show is currently barreling its way towards its fifth and final season (although, like many casualties of the studios' collective greed, the creative team encountered delays due to the WGA strike, so season 5 hasn't actually started filming yet). But before that, fans will get a chance to travel back to the earliest portions of the "Stranger Things" universe and discover how it all began.
Netflix has debuted a first look at "Stranger Things: The First Shadow," a stage play set to premiere at London's West End theatre later this month. Billed as a prequel story, the play will revolve around the younger versions of several major "Stranger Things" characters — primarily Henry Creel (played by Jamie Campbell Bower and Raphael Luce in the TV show, and Louis McCartney in the stage show), telling his origins before he became Number One.
The streaming service released a new look behind the curtain at the production, which you can watch above.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow hits the stage
Ever wonder about the early days when Henry Creel first moved into Hawkins back in 1959? Well, according to the Duffer Brothers, "Stranger Things: The First Shadow" will be the story for you. Following a mix of familiar characters, such as young Joyce, Hopper, and Bob, along with a new character — Bob's sister, Patty Newby (played by Ella Karuna Williams), the stage play weaves together a script written by Kate Trefry with story credit going to The Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne, and Trefry. Most impressively of all, however, is that it's directed by none other than the three-time Tony Award-winning Stephen Daldry. The featurette teases the main story as a "budding romance" between Patty Newby and Henry Creel, though undoubtedly with many more twists and turns up its sleeve.
The ensemble cast includes Shane Attwooll, Kemi Awoderu, Ammar Duffus, Gilles Geary, Florence Guy, Max Harwood, Michael Jibson, Matthew Pidgeon, Calum Ross, Maisie Norma Seaton, and Lauren Ward. Those in the UK can purchase tickets for shows starting on November 17, 2023 at the official website.
Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper's car won't start, Bob Newby's sister won't take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn't so easy ... and the shadows of the past have a very long reach.
Brought to life by a multi-award-winning creative team, who take theatrical storytelling and stagecraft to a whole new dimension, this gripping new adventure will take you right back to the beginning of the "Stranger Things" story — and may hold the key to the end.