Strangers Things: The First Shadow - what is the plot of the theatrical show and how to get tickets?

• The critically acclaimed theatre show based on the popular Stranger Things television series returns to London this week.
• Stranger Things: The First Shadow is set to take place at the Phoenix Theatre until early April 2025.
• But what is the plot of the theatre show, and is the theatre show suitable for young teenagers?

Having enjoyed a celebrated premiere theatrical run in 2023, the cast and creatives behind Stranger Things: The First Shadow are about to do it all over again. 

The theatrical production, penned by Kate Trefry from an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne and Trefry herself, acts as a prequel to the hit Netflix series, starring Winona Ryder, David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown. 

The show had preview performances in November 2023 before it’s first official performance in December that same year, earning critical acclaim including a five star review from The Guardian, who stated that the work “ underpinned by serious inquiries into the psychopathy of war, toxic inheritance, and the search for good parents and release from bad ones. It also touches on othering and adolescent anxieties about being “normal”.”

After its celebrated run in 2023, Stranger Things: The First Shadow returns to the Phoenix Theatre in London this month before heading to Broadway in 2025. | Provided

The return to Phoenix Theatre comes as producers for the show announced in August this year that they would be taking the show to Broadway in 2025, with previews for North American critics set to take place at the Marquis Theatre from March 28 2025 before beginning its official Broadway run currently from April 22 2025.

What is Strangers Things: The First Shadow about?

“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.”

Is Stranger Things: The First Shadow suitable for teenagers?

The team behind the theatrical production have suggested that those over the age of 12 would be more suited to see Stranger Things: The First Shadow pending on “the level of content within the TV show.” 

Those under the age of 16 will have to be accompanied by an adult, while those under the age of 5 are not permitted to attend. 

The show also advises that “this production contains gunfire audio, loud noises and explosions, haze and smoke, flashing lights and strobe, and strong language. There are depictions of various mental health conditions and disorders.”

Where can I get tickets to see Stranger Things: The First Shadow?

Tickets to see Stranger Things: The First Shadow are available to purchase now through ATG Tickets, with prices ranging from £30 to £35, excluding a fee expected to cost £3.80 per booking.

Are you a fan of Stranger Things and are you heading to one of the performances as they take place in London throughout the winter season? Let us know your thoughts or early reviews of the show by leaving a comment down below.