The Upside Down has expanded its reach.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a play inspired by the hit Netflix series, has become the toast of Broadway and now you can watch a new trailer in celebration of its many achievements.
Watch the new video above, and see below for some chilling production photos.
In June, the acclaimed work won three Tony Awards (out of five nominations): Best Scenic Design of a Play (for Miriam Buether and 59), Best Lighting Design of a Play (for Jon Clark), and Best Sound Design of a Play (for Paul Arditti). Preview performances began March 28, and the show officially opened on April 22 at Marquis Theatre in New York.
“The first time we saw the play, we were blown away,” says Ross Duffer, co-creator of Stranger Things. Adds fellow co-creator Matt Duffer, “They pulled everything off and then some. It was one of the most thrilling experiences of our lives.”
Louis McCartney as Henry Creel.
Louis McCartney as Henry Creel.
Straight from the West End production that opened in late 2023, Louis McCartney is reprising his award-winning performance as Henry Creel in the Broadway cast of Stranger Things: The First Shadow. For his stage debut, McCartney earned the 2024 Stage Debut Award for Best Performer in a Play and the Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Newcomer.
“Louis is an astonishing actor, and we are unbelievably proud of the incredible life he has breathed into the role of Henry Creel onstage in the West End,” said director Stephen Daldry and co-director Justin Martin. “From the moment we first met him, we knew he was special, and we are thrilled that Broadway audiences will have the opportunity to witness his extraordinary performance.”
Louis McCartney as Henry Creel.
See McCartney in his Broadway debut and get tickets for the show now at www.StrangerThingsBroadway.com. Meet the rest of the Broadway cast, including T.R. Knight, Alex Breaux, Gabrielle Nevaeh, and more here.
In addition to the aforementioned three Tony wins, Stranger Things: The First Shadow was also Tony-nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play (for Louis McCartney) and Best Costume Design of a Play (for Brigitte Reiffenstuel).
Along with rave reviews, the play also received two Drama League Awards nominations for Outstanding Production of a Play and Distinguished Performance (for Louis McCartney) and racked up seven Outer Critics Circle Awards nods (including Outstanding New Broadway Play).
Stranger Things: The First Shadow also won three Drama Desk Awards: Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play, Outstanding Lighting Design of a Play, and Outstanding Sound Design of a Play.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow debuted on London’s West End at the Phoenix Theatre in December 2023.
“The challenge is to create a visceral experience for the audience, where they feel shock and awe, surprise and delight. You have to deliver that. The fusion of television and theater is about the speed of narrative and how you create it … There are moments in the show where you will think, ‘I don’t understand how they did that,’” says Stephen Daldry, director of Stranger Things: The First Shadow.
See below for behind-the-scenes photos of the cast of the play and the creators and cast of the TV series, at the show’s opening night on Broadway on April 22.
Noah Schnapp and Louis McCartney.
Shawn Levy, Matthew Modine, and Louis McCartney.
Matt Duffer, Jamie Campbell Bower, Louis McCartney, and Ross Duffer.
Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, and Juan Carlos.
Priah Ferguson, Brett Gelman, and Shea Grant.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow is based on an original story by the Duffer brothers, Jack Thorne (who wrote the screenplay for 2022’s Enola Holmes 2, which stars Eleven herself, Millie Bobby Brown) and Kate Trefry. The show is rooted in the mythology and world of the Stranger Things series. The new play is written by Trefry, directed by Tony winner Stephen Daldry, and co-directed by Justin Martin. The play is produced by Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions. The Duffer brothers act as creative producers, with Shawn Levy for 21 Laps Entertainment and Dan Cohen as associate producers.
Jamie Campbell Bower, Charlie Heaton, Natalia Dyer, Noah Schnapp, Priah Ferguson, Cara Buono, Brett Gelman, and Matthew Modine attend the Stranger Things: The First Shadow Broadway opening night on April 22, 2025.
Curious to see what the play’s all about? Check out the premise below:
“In 1959 Hawkins, Indiana, the Creel family seeks a fresh start, especially their teenage son Henry, who is eager to escape his troubled past. Initially, things go well — he finds friendship and joins the school play. But when a wave of shocking crimes strikes the town, Henry is forced to confront a terrifying truth: is there something inside him that connects him to the horrors unfolding around him?”
To learn more about the show’s plot and how it all leads back to the series you nerds know and love, read Tudum’s official guide here.
Gabrielle Nevaeh as Patty Newby and Louis McCartney as Henry Creel.
Gabrielle Nevaeh as Patty Newby and Louis McCartney as Henry Creel.
Louis McCartney as Henry Creel.
The Broadway show features set design by Miriam Buether; costume design by Brigitte Reiffenstuel; lighting design by Jon Clark; sound design by Paul Arditti; original music composition, orchestration, arrangements, and supervision by D.J. Walde; and illusions design and visual effects by Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher. Video design and visual effects are by 59 Productions; choreography by Coral Messam; movement direction by Lynne Page; and wigs, hair, and makeup design by Campbell Young Associates. Technical direction is by Gary Beestone for Gary Beestone Associates, and casting is by Jim Carnahan.
The West End production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow snagged two Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play and Best Set Design. The play also received the award for Best New Play at the 24th annual WhatsOnStage Awards in 2024. At the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards, Stranger Things: The First Shadow won the award for Best Set Design.
And check out the new documentary Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things: The First Shadow, now streaming on Netflix, to follow the play’s journey from the West End to Broadway.
