Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a new play heading to London’s West End later this year

Based on an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne and Kate Trefry, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a new play written by Kate Trefry, 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, tickets for the play will go on sale this spring, details of which will be announced later this month. The Duffer Brothers act as creative producers, with 21 Laps as associate producer.

This new play by Kate Trefry, a writer and co-executive producer for the TV series of Stranger Things, will be rooted in the mythology and world of the Netflix global phenomenon.

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 get the hell out of 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, 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 may hold the key to the end.

Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things debuted on Netflix on 15 July 2016. Its fourth season (released in 2022) tops the Netflix Most Popular English TV list at #1 with 1.35 billion hours viewed; the third season released in 2019 still holds at #6 with 582.1 million hours viewed. The series has garnered over 70 awards worldwide including Emmys and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, and has been nominated for over 230 awards. Recently Stranger Things completed its record-breaking fourth season to huge acclaim, becoming the biggest premiere weekend ever for an English-language TV show on Netflix.

Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, Kate Trefry. Cr. Brad Torchia/Netflix © 2023

Matt and Ross Duffer said “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 added “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 said, “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.”

STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW will be directed by Stephen Daldry with co-director Justin Martin, set design by Miriam Buether, costume design by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, lighting design by Jon Clark, sound design by Paul Arditti, illusions design by Jamie Harrison & Chris Fisher, video design by 59 Productions, movement direction by Coral Messam, wigs, hair and make-up design by Campbell Young Associates, casting by Charlotte Sutton CDG, international casting consultancy by Jim Carnahan, Gary Beestone for Gary Beestone Associates is Technical Director, with further creative team members to be announced.

Further ticket information, on-sale details, performance schedule, full creative team and casting to be announced at a later date.