Netflix bringing Stranger Things to London’s West End
March 2, 2023
By Nik Roseveare
Stranger Things: The First Shadow – a new play based on the hit Netflix series – will receive its world premiere in late 2023 at the Phoenix Theatre in London’s West End, directed by Stephen Daldry with co-direction by Justin Martin.
Produced by Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions, the play will go on sale this spring. The Duffer Brothers, creators of the Stranger Things series, will serve as creative producers, with 21 Laps as associate producer.
This new play written by Kate Trefry, a writer and co-executive producer for the Stranger Things series, will be rooted in the mythology and world of the Netflix phenomenon. The story is set in 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 leave 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, the new adventure will take audiences right back to the beginning of the Stranger Things story – and Netflix teases that it may hold the key to the end.
Matt and Ross Duffer commented: “We are beyond excited about Stranger Things: The First Shadow. Collaborating with the brilliant Stephen Daldry has been nothing short of inspiring, and Kate Trefry has written a play that is at turns surprising, scary, and heartfelt. You will meet endearing new characters, as well as very familiar ones, on a journey into the past that sets the groundwork for the future of Stranger Things. We’re dying to tell you more about the story but won’t – it’s more fun to discover it for yourself. Can’t wait to see you nerds in London!”
Sonia Friedman said: “The world and mythology of Stranger Things has enabled a rich and fertile ground for creating an incredible story for the stage. The Duffer Brothers have built a huge global following for good reason, and a world-class creative team has built on their boundless imagination to dream up an unbelievably exciting theatrical event for our audiences. Set within the canon of Stranger Things, this new play opens in London, with the West End hosting the only place in the world to experience this new story – for now. I’m thrilled to reunite with my visionary long-term collaborator Stephen Daldry. Together, with our brilliant Netflix partners, we can’t wait to welcome Stranger Things fans into theatre, and theatregoers into the realm of Stranger Things.”
Greg Lombardo, VP Live Experiences for Netflix, added: “Stranger Things has captured the imagination of fans around the world and we are incredibly thrilled to expand this exciting universe with Netflix’s first live stage production. With the creative talents of Matt and Ross Duffer combined with Sonia Friedman and Stephen Daldry, theatregoers will be swept up in a truly epic event worthy of Stranger Things.”