It may take a little while before fans finally see Stranger Things Season 5, but the minds behind the series, the Duffer Brothers, still have a lot of new stories to tell. In fact, on the celebration of Stranger Things Day on November 6, Netflix dropped the first look at Stranger Things: The First Shadow, hinting at exploring how Henry Creel became Vecna.
The preview features the Stranger Things creators, Ross and Matt Duffer, who are also behind The First Shadow. Ross revealed they were breaking the fourth season with their writers when they realized there were still more stories to tell about the series. However, what they intended to do was to tell an original story set in the Stranger Things universe. Timely, director and producer Stephen Daldry was interested in doing a play, and from there, the idea for the prequel stage play was born.
Ross revealed that The First Shadow explores Henry’s arrival in Hawkins. But aside from the familiar names, the creator also teased that there would be a slew of characters fans were about to meet, like Patty Newby, who would have a budding romance with the young Henry.
Producer Sonia Friedman then said the play would see how Henry became Number 001, with Patrick Vaill, who would play Dr. Brenner, adding it would be the origin of Stranger Things and the Upside Down. Friedman also claimed that there would be a lot of Easter eggs in the prequel, calling it an “Easter morning.”
What is Stranger Things: The First Shadow about?
Set in the 1959 Hawkins, Stranger Things: The First Shadow will see the young Hopper, Bob, and Joyce enjoying their regular lives. Hopper can’t start his car, Bob’s sister refuses to listen to his radio show, and Joyce only wants to get out of where she is. A new student, Henry Creel, then arrives and realizes having a fresh start isn’t as easy as expected. By the looks of it, the play will bring fans back to the start of Stranger Things long before Eleven’s story began.
You can read the synopsis below:
Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously, and Joyce just wants to get out as soon as she can. When new student Henry Creel and his family arrive, they find a fresh start isn’t that 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 to the beginning of the end.
The First Shadow will open on December 14, while the previews will begin on November 17 at the Phoenix Theatre on London’s West End. Tickets are now available at strangerthingsonstage.com. For more information and other sale details, fans can follow the play’s Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow will give fans a different perspective on life in Hawkins long before the TV series began. As a lot are hating on Vecna, can they finally relate to his story in this stage play?
