The Upside Down is alive in prequel

It’s been nearly a decade since a young Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) was transported to an alternate dimension coined the Upside Down in the first season of Matt and Ross Duffer’s Stranger Things. In the years since, the beloved Netflix sci-fi series has released four seasons (with a fifth and final slated for later this year); launched the careers of stars like Sadie Sink, Finn Wolfhard, Joseph Quinn, and Millie Bobby Brown; expanded upon its interdimensional lore across multiple novels; and singlehandedly pushed Kate Bush’s 1985 hit “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” to the top of the charts in nine different countries along the way. 

Now, the ‘80s-set franchise is casting its net back nearly 25 years earlier in the new Broadway play Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which opened at the Marquis Theatre on Tuesday following an Olivier award-winning turn in London’s West End.

The prequel — written by Stranger Things scribe Kate Trefry and based on an original story crafted by Trefry, the Duffer Brothers, and Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) — follows a young Henry Creel (Louis McCartney) and his family as they settle down in the fictional town of Hawkins, Ind., in 1958. As the shy teen searches for his place among his Hawkins High peers, he is plagued by a mysterious darkness that threatens to destroy him — and the entire world — if he allows it. 

The name Henry Creel alone will likely ring alarm bells for Stranger Things fans who will recall witnessing a condensed version of the teen’s backstory in season 4. Others may question the need for a two-hour-and-40-minute-long production that reaches a foretold conclusion. While First Shadow might not be considered required reading for all Stranger Things fans, it is a frightening, immersive, nonstop thrill ride of a play that successfully transports audiences into the television series with its stunning illusions, masterfully crafted sets, and moving performances.

By the time Henry and his family arrive in Hawkins, the troubled teen has already been battling the effects of the Upside Down for years. As he settles into high school life, he’s introduced to a collection of younger, yet familiar faces like Alison Jaye’s Joyce Maldonado (played in the series by Winona Ryder), Burke Swanson’s Jim Hopper (played on TV by David Harbour), and Juan Carlos’ Bob Newby (played by Sean Astin on the show), but it’s Bob’s sister Patty (Gabrielle Nevaeh) who captures his attention. As the evil surrounding Henry grows stronger, so do his affections for his newfound friend — especially after they’re cast as lovers in the school play. 

“That’s the central question of the play,” Joyce tells her fellow theater kids (and, in many ways, the audience). “Can love defeat fear?”

It’s worth noting that theatergoers don’t need to have watched Stranger Things in order to enjoy First Shadow; the story holds up as its own standalone tragedy. That being said, interactions between certain characters have a very different dynamic when you’re aware of their (future?) history. And those who are unfamiliar with the series will undoubtably miss various references scattered throughout the show.

While the play features an impressive 30+ member cast, it can’t be overstated just how much of First Shadow’s success rests solely upon McCartney’s magnificent performance as Henry. The 21-year-old actor, who is following the production to Broadway from the West End, takes an already-established character and not only makes him fully his own, but delicately crafts him into someone that viewers can sympathize with even in his darkest hour. It’s clear that he revels in Henry’s duality, flickering effortlessly between playing him as an awkward and conflicted teen that yearns to be normal one moment, and then, indulging in his maniacal and twisted side the next. 

Put McCartney opposite Nevaeh’s Patty, who serves as a confident and supportive foil to his hesitant Henry, and the pair become the beating heart of the play, devouring every scene that they’re in together with their easy chemistry.

Elsewhere, a ragtag team consisting of Jaye’s Joyce, Swanson’s Hopper, and Carlos’ Bob bring forth a wellspring of laughs and some serious scares as they investigate the string of grisly pet murders that have begun popping up around town. 

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The scares are plentiful. First Shadow delights in keeping viewers on the edge of their seat, interspersing perfectly-timed jump scares in between pockets of body and eldritch horror that will send your heart pounding so fast that you feel like you’ve just sprinted through the Upside Down.

The big-budget production is nothing short of a theatrical marvel, with Henry’s powers and the Upside Down brought to life using a jaw-dropping mixture of illusions and visual effects created by designers Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher. They have to be seen to be believed.

Additional video elements and visual effects by studio 59 only further amaze, horrify, and defy all explanation as they blend seamlessly into Miriam Buether’s vivid sets. If that isn’t enough to keep audiences thoroughly entertained, then its larger-than-life set pieces — which range from a capsized military vessel to a massive Mind Flayer that descends from the rafters — will surely do the trick.

With so much material to get through, director Stephen Daldry and co-director Justin Martin keep First Shadow moving at a rapid pace. The show never once drags, no matter its lengthy runtime. But that also means that audiences seldom get the chance to catch their breath or take in any of the show’s finer details.

While the play does feel like being tossed into an episode of Stranger Things — complete with a shockingly spooky introduction and a solid mix of high school melodrama and mystery — certain decisions within the second act start to feel rushed as the play clicks into the established canon. There are also several jokes included simply to break up tension, which wink at the history of theater rather than fit in with the show’s general tone and storyline.

Immersive, heartfelt, and exhilarating, First Shadow is a must-see spectacle for the Stranger Things obsessive as much as it is for the theater aficionado who wants to see the medium pushed to new heights. It does a phenomenal job of not only fleshing out a complicated character, but also providing context for the extreme lengths that Henry goes to in the TV series. Perhaps it may even begin to lay the groundwork for season 5. Grab your Eggos and your walkman and head on down ASAP. Grade: B+