Review: Stranger Things: The First Shadow!, at the Phoenix Theatre, London

A Friday matinee! Who does a Friday matinee?! 

It's rare, not unwelcome, especially for someone like me who was trying to pack in as many shows as I possibly could. 

Friday began with a completely different tone from the double bill of British new musical comedy the day before (that being Kathy & Stella, and Operation Mincemeat). In fact, it went as big budget and well-known as you can get, bar Harry Potter of course. 

Actually, funny I mention Harry Potter, as this play features the same producing team as The Cursed Child, and one of the same writers, Jack Thorne. However the head writer was Kate Trefry (who joined the writing team in Season 2), along with input from Duffer Brothers (the creators of this phenomenon). 

I headed to Hawkins, for Stranger Things: The First Shadow. 

I think a lot of us, if we were being honest, had some doubts when First Shadow was announced. I personally was worried that it would end up having the same problems Cursed Child would have further down the line, that of being "No, let's be honest, that would not happen", and get a little bit goofy. 

I certainly hope not now that I have seen the play, as it truly feels like two episodes (for two acts) of the show 

(And Stranger Things is one of my favourites) 

I will say first off that this play is for the fans. The First Shadow hopes to be a bridge between Seasons 4 and 5, centring on the backstory of Stranger Things ultimate big bad. So if you haven't seen all four seasons of Stranger Things, then a lot of things will go over your head. So, please be aware that I may mention spoilers for the TV show - but not for First Shadow. 

(Anyone curious though who has not seen a single episode, there is a "Story So Far" feature in the programme.)

From the moment you enter the Phoenix Theatre, you are immersed in Hawkins. The year is 1959

Our favourite characters (that being Joyce, Hopper and Bob), are currently in their final year of Hawkins High School; and there is a new arrival in town, as the Creel family hope to make a fresh start. But their son, Henry is... different. And things start to happen... The question is, how did a scared young lad turn into 001?

Like I said, The First Shadow has the same feeling as the show: and this is down to a few things. One, as previously mentioned, is The Duffer Brother's involvement (and Sonia Friedman & Stephen Daldry involved them from the get go). Two, is that the actors truly feel like younger versions of characters we know and love. Isabella Pappas in particular blew me away as Joyce, having the same quirk Winona Ryder brings in spades. And Patrick Vaill (Oklahoma) sows the seeds of creepiness Matthew Modine had as Brenner. 

We also get to see characters we didn't know much about get expanded on, especially the Creels. Alex Young is pretty vile as Virginia Creel, a mother way out of her depth and not coping well, having a very cold relationship with her son. In terms of new characters, I don't want to give too many spoilers, especially with one in particular, as it would be interesting to see their role in Season 5 (as of writing this, Season 5 has not been released yet). 

However, the star has to be Louis McCartney. He is terrific as Henry Creel. His multi-dimensional (if you pardon the pun), being scared and vulnerable one minute, and then quite sinister the next. Throughout it, there is also an underlying creepiness and sense of unease he brings to ever scene. He was perfectly casted - for, no less, his professional debut. 

The First Shadow brings The Upside Down and all its creepiness right to your faces - with no screen or sofa to hide behind 

The lighting, sound and effects in The First Shadow are masterful, particularly with any scene in which Henry uses his powers, and any scenes that take place in the Upside Down. I won't spoil anything specific of course, but they are the icing on the cake to setting the tone of the show. 

You feel tense throughout the whole thing (bar some comedy moments of course), and it pays off with the jump scares - some of which come from something as simple as a change in Jon Clark's lighting. It is no surprise that Stranger Things won a lot of creative and technical Olivier Awards.

If you are a Stranger Things fan, then I highly recommend you get down to the Phoenix Theatre 

I will say though, and this should go without saying, that this is not a show for young kids. Not that young kids really should watch the show anyway, but please don't think that because it won Best Entertainment & Family at this year's Oliviers, that it's a good family choice unless your children are teenagers. 

Because nothing screams "family fun" like cuddly Demogorgons and cute pets dying horrifically...!

Having seen The First Shadow, despite it not being perfect, I shall be very interested to see how much is going to be referenced or hinted at in Season 5.