‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ to open on Broadway this spring

The critically acclaimed play, a stage prequel to the hit Netflix TV series, premiered in London in 2023, and it will now play New York’s Marquis Theatre.

Broadway’s turning Upside Down! The new play Stranger Things: The First Shadow will premiere on Broadway this spring at the Marquis Theatre. Performances begin on March 28 ahead of an April 22 opening night.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a prequel to the hit Netflix TV show Stranger Things, which has released four critically acclaimed seasons since 2016. The series is set in the 1980s and follows a group of teenagers who discover a sinister, supernatural realm called the Upside Down in their small town of Hawkins, Indiana.

The stage play centers on younger versions of the TV show's fan-favorite adult characters, including Jim Hopper, Bob Newby, and Joyce Maldonado (known on the show as Joyce Byers). In 1959 Hawkins, their lives are relatively quiet — until newcomer Henry Creel arrives, rocking the town and exposing its secrets.

The play is written by Kate Trefry, a writer on the TV show. Her script is based on an original story by Trefry, Stranger Things TV show creators the Duffer Brothers, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child playwright Jack Thorne. It premiered in London's West End in November 2023, under the direction of Stephen Daldry, to critical acclaim.

London Theatre’s five-star Stranger Things: The First Shadow review reads, “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.”

Daldry returns to co-direct the Broadway production with Justin Martin. The Duffer Brothers are creative producers, and Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions are lead producers.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow will be Netflix’s second Broadway venture. Earlier this year, the streaming platform produced the play Patriots by Peter Morgan, who created the Netflix series The Crown.

Get Stranger Things: The First Shadow tickets now.

In London? Book Stranger Things tickets in the West End on London Theatre.

Photo credit: Stranger Things: The First Shadow in London. (Photo by Manuel Harlan)