Stranger Things: The First Shadow opens at London's Phoenix Theatre
The prequel stage play set in 1959 Hawkins had its official opening in London's West End, expanding the Stranger Things universe beyond television.
This summary was written by AI to complete the context; it is not based on a current source.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow had its official opening night on 14 December 2023 at the Phoenix Theatre in London's West End, after a period of preview performances. The production was the first major stage expansion of the Netflix phenomenon.
The play is set in 1959 in Hawkins, Indiana, decades before the events of the television series. It follows teenage versions of characters including Jim Hopper, Joyce and Bob Newby, and also introduces Henry Creel, whose story links to the show's central mystery and its villain. The story was developed with the Duffer Brothers, the series' creators, and written by Kate Trefry. Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin directed.
The production drew attention for its elaborate stagecraft, with large-scale illusions and special effects meant to recreate the supernatural world of the series in a live setting. It mattered because it showed that the franchise's backstory could be told in new formats, and it was later followed by a Broadway staging. That groundwork led to further prequel projects, including Other Worlds.
Story timeline
Stranger Things prequel series Other Worlds · 3 updates
What happened before and after this story. Background events not previously covered were summarised by AI.
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