Stranger Things : The First Shadow

““Those familiar with the series will be able to trace storylines back but the production is not just a clever parlour game for fans. If you come at it afresh, it is still irresistible. A spurt of lazy film-to-stage adaptations have recently hit the West End but this parallel world is a winner.””

““ ‘The First Shadow’ suffers from dramatic bloat and tonal inconsistency. The biggest frustration with it is the sense that it might have been show of the year with 30 minutes of really ruthless cuts...It’s not perfect, but it’s as close to the Upside Down as you’re going to get without having your head bitten off by a demogorgon.””

““I can’t claim that, as a piece of drama, this is more than high-class hokum but what we get, as spectators, is a game-changing experience, one which combines state-of-the-art video wizardry with the tricks of the theatrical trade...Standing ovations are ten a penny these days but this show thoroughly deserves the one it gets.””

““This astonishing show turns normal expectations of theatre upside down. Director Stephen Daldry has taken the Duffer Brothers’ Eighties-set Netflix sci-fi hit and magicked it into a spectacular, multimedia prequel, full of enough thrills, scares and knowing nods to please fans and the uninitiated in equal measure.””

““Despite a slightly meandering second act, everything here is ready to swallow you up faster than a demogorgon...Coming out of the Phoenix – exhausted, exhilerated – I had a strong desire to go back and watch the original TV show. The First Shadow is doing exactly what Netflix wants it to.””

““Based on the phenomenally popular Netflix series, this visually stunning retro-horror romp is audacious, exhilarating and relentlessly inventive...Subtlety is not the goal here, and this show never quite matches the series’ charming mix of nostalgia, hope and horror. But it is an extraordinary, gripping spectacle.””

““Amid all the crowd scenes there’s little sense of depth to the individual characters or how they relate to one another. You’re left longing to see less of the tiresome play within a play and much more of Ella Karuna Williams’s sweet-voiced Patty Newby.””

““The stage and the screen will never be substitutes but Stranger Things: The First Shadow never feels limited by the medium. It leans into the theatricality hammering the audience with slick illusions and visually stunning trickery applied impasto. No expense is spared but that is hardly surprising.””

““This is an effects-heavy show; there are some utterly stunning set pieces from the very start as the production does everything it can to remind you that this is Stranger Things and you should expect the unexpected. Directors Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin are skilled at spectacle and suspense, and the result is a thrilling, immersive experience that uses every trick unique to the stage to keep its audience gripped.””

““ ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ has, to say the least, many elements to it. For productions like these, it’s easy for the story to get lost among the special effects. Thankfully, this isn’t the case.””

“Without a doubt, this is one of the most major and quality productions of the year, and while many of the occurrences in the story may seem strange, its triumphant success won’t be the strangest thing.”

““Netflix makes its stage debut in spectacular fashion with this keenly anticipated – and, I can happily reveal, totally awe-inspiring – theatrical version of the streamer’s hit sci-fi series ‘Stranger Things.’ Crucially, it’s a must-see not just for superfans, but for anyone excited by boundary-pushing theatre that harnesses jaw-dropping special effects while telling a very relatable human story.””

““This isn’t a quiet, quaint, self-consciously theatrical little play. It’s a massive all-out event calculated to thrill fans of the award-winning Netflix series with explosions, thrills, and jumpscares galore””

“In this intensely cinematic and technically stunning show, a spirited ensemble breathes ambitious life into a villain origin story that feels at once epic and intimate – and with no shortage of wow factors.”

““While you can absolutely enjoy this as a stand-alone play, it’s the way it’s been so cleverly intertwined with the TV series that makes it a really compelling piece of theatre, you could hear audible gasps around the theatre as secrets were revealed and loose ends tied up. Visually, it’s stunning in every possible way and undoubtedly Stranger Things: The First Shadow sets a new standard for what we can expect from theatre.””