Strangers Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre

Hawkins truly is a place that you'll want to return to again and again! From tense moments to perfect comedic timing to surprising musical numbers this show has it all as the combination of comedy, fear, romance and story come together to create a beautiful kaleidoscope of a show.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

My Review:

Going into this show blind was certainly an experience but I can say with much confidence that I will be returning to Hawkins. This show's storyline was incredible and it is one of the most visually impressive shows that I have seen for a while truly showcasing the magic of live theatre with special effects that surpassed those of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child for me at moments as I left the theatre wondering how some of the things I witnessed actually happened. As someone who has not finished Stranger Things, I did not feel lost during this show and I would say to any lovers of Stranger Things or just live theatre that this is not a show to be missed as it is one of the most beautiful and engaging pieces of theatre on the West End at the moment. The set of this show is also amazing as it means there is always something happening on the stage and the frequent use of levels made the show further engaging, which I was not aware would be possible with a show as epic as this.

Calum Ross is a showstopper as Henry Creel beautifully conveying the internal struggle of this character and providing so many layers through his characterisation whilst simultaneously playing off the rest of the cast incredibly, especially Patrick Vail as Dr Brenner and Ella Karuna Williams as Patty Newby. Ella Karuna Williams is the perfect casting for Patty Newby as she can brilliantly shift from lighter to darker moments of the show seamlessly and also has a stunning voice which is showcased during the musical number of this show. Patrick Vail portrays the dark desperation of Dr Brenner supported by manipulation and scheming, it must be said that Patrick Vail is an incredible actor as his talent was also showcased by his portrayal of Jud Fry in Oklahoma. Max Harwood was humorous and engaging as Bob Newby from the moment he opened the main show, and this energy and talent was shown continuously throughout the rest of the show. Michael Jibson was incredible as Victor Creel, being able to convincingly convey the emotions and actions of the deep character based on his past and present experiences, heightening the emotions felt by the audience during the performance. Playing alongside Michael Jibson was Alex Young as Virginia Creel and Scarlett Davies as Alice Creel, Alex Young was able to convey her fear of Henry Creel throughout causing the audience to question why she felt that way initially and begin to sympathise later, this fear mimicked by Scarlett Davies later on as Alice Creel starts to learn the truth about Henry Creel was once again brilliantly conveyed and I am sure that Scarlett Davies has a bright future ahead of her. Isabella Pappas was brilliant as Joyce Maldonado, providing a brilliant match to Joyce in the series whilst also putting her own spin on this character. Alan Munson & Lonnie Byers were played as a split track by Chase Brown with seamless transitions where I did not realise that he was playing the two characters, which is a testament to his talent and range. Walter Henderson was portrayed by Danny Sykes, who felt extremely natural in this role and I was shocked to learn that this is not his usual role based on his excellent execution regarding the presentation of this character to the audience. Oscar Llyod played James Hopper Jr. and brilliantly brought this character to life on the stage once again being able to link this character to that in the series allowing me to quickly realise who he was without limited knowledge of Stranger Things which is a testament to Oscar Llyod's characterisation abilities and his comedic nature bought about some of my favourite moments during this production. Chief Hopper played by Shane Attwool gave us an insight into the relationship between father and son and his ability to create such a dislikeable character through subtle moments and actions was incredible. Principal Newby is another example of this through brilliant characterisation by Matthew Pidgeon, as his interaction throughout the show and their conveyance to the audience allowed me to form strong opinions of the character which were shattered by his change in portrayal after a pivotal moment of the show creating a more layered character than I initially realised. Other characters of the show include Sue Anderson played by Kemi Awoderu, Karen Childress played by Florence Guy, Charles Sinclair played by Ammar Duffus, Ted Wheeler played by Isaac Gryn and Claudia Yount played by Patricia Castro. These characters alongside the ensemble comprised of Samuel Baxter, Reya-Nyomi Brown, Lydia Fraser, Mark Hammersley, Tom Peters, Kingdon Sibanda, Meesha Turner and the swings Tricia Adele-Tuner, Lauren Arney, Benjamin Lafayette, Tiana Simone, all come together to create an incredible show full of rich characters where something is going on at every moment causing a fast-paced atmosphere further adding to the pre-existing tension of this show.

Content Warnings:

The theatre has warnings on display which are as follows:

This production contains

Gunfire Audio, Loud Noises and Explosions, Haze and Smoke, Flashing Lights and Strobe, Strong Language
There are depictions of: Various Mental Health Conditions and Disorders

The warnings for this production are very accurate and I did feel stressed at moments during the performance due to the tense and eerie nature of this show, which is conveyed by acting, sound effects and visual effects. There are jump scares during this show, often signalled by the raising of an animal or character, which certainly got to me and left me shocked every time.

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)

- AnxiousTheatregoer