Charlie Gray/Netflix
“These actors brilliantly explore the early days of many fan favorites,” said Matt and Ross Duffer.
The stage is set for a trip back in time.
From our partners:
The upcoming Stranger Things original stage play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, has announced its full cast of characters — many of whom you’ll recognize as the younger versions of your favorite Hawkins residents circa 1959, when the world premiere takes place on Dec. 14 at the Phoenix Theatre on London’s West End. Previews begin Nov. 17. And keep in mind: this prequel may just hold the key to what comes next…
The cast includes Louis McCartney (Silent Roar, Hope Street, Game of Thrones) as Henry Creel, Ella Karuna Williams (The Equalizer) as Patty Newby and Patrick Vaill (Oklahoma!, Macbeth, Dash & Lily) as Dr. Brenner. You can follow McCartney @louismccartney_, Williams @ellakarunawilliams and Vaill @patrickvaill.
Oscar Lloyd (The 47th, Hotel Portofino, 4 O’Clock Club) takes on the role as Jim Hopper, Jr., Isabella Pappas (Finding Alice, The Villains of Valley View, The Nether) is Joyce Maldonado (Joyce Byers’ maiden name) and Christopher Buckley (David Copperfield, Orphans, Stig of the Dump) plays Bob Newby. Follow Lloyd @_oscarlloyd_, Pappas @isabellapappas_ and Buckley @cbuckles16.
Then there’s Michael Jibson (Bodies, The Essex Serpent, Hamilton) as Victor Creel and Lauren Ward (Dear Evan Hansen, Matilda the Musical, Caroline, or Change) as Virginia Creel. Follow Jibson @mikejibson and Ward @lolly_h_ward.
“The cast of Stranger Things: The First Shadow is nothing short of phenomenal,” said Matt and Ross Duffer (the creators of Stranger Things who also act as the play’s creative producers). “These actors brilliantly explore the early days of many fan favorites — including Hopper, Joyce, Bob, Henry, and Dr. Brenner — while also bringing new characters to vivid life. We couldn’t be more thrilled and can’t wait for you to meet them all live on stage. See you in London, nerds!”
The Stranger Things play also features Shane Attwooll (Wonder Woman 1984, Legend, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot) as Chief Hopper, Kemi Awoderu as Sue Anderson (Sue Sinclair’s maiden name), and Chase Brown as Lonnie Byers. Ammar Duffus plays Charles Sinclair, while Gilles Geary is Ted Wheeler and Florence Guy is Karen Childress (Karen Wheeler’s maiden name). Max Harwood plays Allen Munson, Matthew Pidgeon is Principal Newby, Calum Ross is Walter Henderson, and Maisie Norma Seaton takes on the role of Claudia Henderson.
Tricia Adele-Turner, Lauren Arney, Reya-Nyomi Brown, Patricia Castro, Lydia Fraser, Isaac Gryn, Mark Hammersley, Tom Peters, Kingdom Sibanda, Tiana Simone, Danny Sykes and Meesha Turner are featured as well.
“With rehearsals now underway, it’s a joy to discover the world of Stranger Things: The First Shadow with our ferociously talented cast and watch the alchemy amongst our entire company grow as we together explore this new play,” said director Stephen Daldry and co-director Justin Martin. “They’re an extraordinarily gifted group of actors, and we can’t wait to share this origin story with audiences.”
The stage play is based on an original story by The Duffer Brothers, Kate Trefry (a writer on Stranger Things), and Jack Thorne (who wrote the screenplay for 2022’s Enola Holmes 2 which stars Millie Bobby Brown, who plays Eleven). The Stranger Things play is produced by Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions, with 21 Laps Entertainment as associate producer.
Written by Trefry, Stranger Things: The First Shadow is completely canonical to the series. Get ready for a blast from the past:
Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously and Joyce just wants to get out as soon as she can. When new student Henry Creel and his family arrive, they find a fresh start isn’t that 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 to the beginning of the end.
The Stranger Things play also features set design by Miriam Buether, costume design by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, lighting design by Jon Clark, sound design by Paul Arditti, and illusions design and visual effects by Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher. Video design and visual effects are by 59 Productions, original music and arrangements by D.J. Walde, choreography by Coral Messam, with movement direction by Lynne Page. Wigs, hair, and makeup design is by Campbell Young Associates, while Gary Beestone for Gary Beestone Associates is technical director, props supervision is by Mary Halliday, dialect by William Conacher, fight direction by Kev McCurdy, casting by Jessica Ronane Casting CDG with additional casting by Charlotte Sutton CDG, and international casting consultancy by Jim Carnahan.
Buy your tickets now at strangerthingsonstage.com and be sure to follow these accounts on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook and Twitter for further ticket information, on-sale details and more.
We can’t wait for you to meet young Hopper, Joyce, Bob Newby, Henry Creel, Dr. Brenner, and more of your beloved Stranger Things crew, before the world turned Upside Down….
By: TARA BITRAN
Originally published at: Netflix TUDUM
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