Stranger Things: The First Shadow is now playing at the Marquis Theatre in New York City and The Phoenix Theatre in London.
Is mega-budget stage prequel Stranger Things: The First Shadow a necessary addition to the hit Netflix show’s lore? Definitely not. But is this breathtaking theatrical spectacle a hell of a lot of fun? Absolutely so.
Chiefly an origin story for Henry Creel, a.k.a. the fourth-season big-bad Vecna, The First Shadow is set up to expand on the bizarre goings-on in Hawkins, Indiana and satisfy fans with some familiar characters, all without messing with anything of significance to the series’ continuity. There’s enticement for diehards in the form of younger versions of Joyce Byers (né Moldanado), Jim Hopper, the sadistic Dr. Brenner and, of course, Bob Newby. (If you don’t remember who that is, don’t worry – it scarcely matters.) And since Vecna will return for the show’s much-delayed fifth and final season, First Shadow makes sense as a bridge between seasons. But it’s not like you’ll be completely at sea if you can’t make it to the play before the last batch of episodes drops on Netflix.
What you’ll see, however, is hugely enjoyable – packed with astonishing stage images, impressive jump scares, and genuinely exciting feats of theatricality. And if the script sometimes gets bogged down in fan service, it does find a surprising emotional potency in its main character’s doomed effort to save himself.
The setting is 1959, and a teenage Henry (Louis McCartney) is seeking a fresh start, following a violent incident at his last school. At Hawkins High, he finds romance with the kindly Patty Newby (Gabrielle Nevaeh) when the two are cast as leads in the student play. But at night, a dark power takes hold of Henry’s body, using his powers of telepathy and telekinesis to horrible ends – brought to life by a seemingly bottomless bag of theatrical tricks.
Ably guided by seasoned director Stephen Daldry and co-director Justin Martin, The First Shadow’s makeup, effects, and scenic teams conjure wonder after wonder on stage, a healthy mix of huge set pieces and old-fashioned stage magic. The opener, in which a battleship is beached by attacking Demogorgons, is jaw-dropping. Creel’s telepathic jaunts across Hawkins use doubles, stage tricks, and puppetry to haunting effect. And when the Mind Flayer makes her appearance, the big girl does not disappoint.
The First Shadow also holds onto Stranger Things’ oddly pleasing clash of teenage hijinks and bloodthirsty violence. Since Daldry ensures the play is always moving at a steady clip, harsh jumps from fratricide to theater-club drama can certainly feel jarring. But the tonal whiplash is, for all its grossness, in keeping with Stranger Things as we know it.
A little more about that play-within-the-play, since it takes up about as much storytelling real estate here as Henry himself (barely an exaggeration): The kids are pretending to put on Oklahoma! But secretly, their student director, an impassioned Joyce (Alison Jaye), has a different vision. She conceives a “revolutionary” production of Dark of the Moon, an obscure 1945 play (not to be confused with the Transformers sequel) centering on a witch-boy who falls for a young girl and seeks to become human. The parallels with Creel’s story are, fortunately, not excessively underlined.
Jaye pulls off an artful Winona Ryder impression, echoing Ryder’s strange mannerisms without overdoing it. Joyce is always fending off the interest of a young Jim Hopper, also nicely captured by Burke Swanson, who finds an overcompensating machismo that is, again, of a piece with David Harbour’s beloved take on Hopper. But ultimately, outside of the fan-pleasing need to feature some familiar faces, there is no reason for either of them to be in The First Shadow. Joyce and Jim’s storyline technically has connections to Henry’s, but it always feels like it’s happening in its own play. The inclusion of Bob Newby (played in the show’s third season by Sean Astin) is even more needless, and Juan Carlos’ breathlessly frenzied take proves grating.
Though its 2-hour-and-45-minute running time flies by, First Shadow loses focus a bit in a jumbled second act. Henry’s outsider bond with Patty is genuinely touching, but their central relationship gets lost amidst much gruesome business with Dr. Brenner. Alex Breaux does well as the future father figure/tormentor of Henry’s fellow telekinetic Eleven, and it’s fun to watch him and McCartney have a freak-off. But after about a scene and a half with Brenner, we basically get the gist: He’s evil!
The anchor amidst all the madness is McCartney, a virtuosic breakout talent who brings a sweetly yet demonic flair to young Henry. The battle raging inside Henry always feels palpable, even as he makes valiant attempts at a normal life. It’s the anti-Eleven story, and McCartney holds the whole thing together.
