Before the Upside Down was opened, before Eleven’s powers, and before Hawkins fell to supernatural terror, there was Henry Creel. Broadway’s Stranger Things: The First Shadow takes fans deep into the hidden past of the Netflix universe, delivering an eerie, emotional origin story that has already claimed four Tony Awards and left audiences stunned.
Set in 1959, the play centres on teenage Henry (played by Louis McCartney), a troubled boy grappling with horrifying visions in the seemingly quiet town of Hawkins. Audiences familiar with the Netflix series know what he becomes, Vecna, the show’s ultimate villain, but The First Shadow dares to ask what drove him there. Opposite him is Gabrielle Nevaeh’s Patty Newby, a new character who sees Henry for who he is beneath the nightmares. Together, they form the heart of a story that’s as tragic as it is thrilling.
The stage production’s visual feats are already the stuff of legend. Gravity-defying illusions, seamless transitions, and supernatural effects recreate the terror of Hawkins with an intensity that cinema rarely matches. Critics have called it unlike anything Broadway has seen, and fans agree. One audience member even screamed “NO WAY” during a pivotal reveal, proof of how deeply this play grips viewers.
Written by Kate Trefry with the Duffer Brothers and Jack Thorne, and directed by Stephen Daldry, the play serves as a prequel to the TV series but stands entirely on its own. With characters like Dr Brenner, young Bob Newby, and a host of familiar surnames from the Netflix series, the connections run deep, but it’s Henry and Patty’s bond that makes this more than a horror story.
“I connect with Henry through music,” McCartney said. “He’s a good kid, but broken.” Nevaeh added, “Patty sees the light in him. That’s what makes this story so powerful.”
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