Stranger Things: The First Shadow
It would be quite a feat to have never heard of Stranger Things, the science fiction Netflix series created by Duffer Brother watched by millions since 2016. The most recent season answered many questions about the mysterious upbringing of Eleven but raised plenty still to be explained for the newly introduced Henry Creel, which is what this production explores.
Set in the late 50s, we follow the Creel family as they move to Hawkins for a fresh start, with our focus on teenager son Henry, who carries an immense awkwardness and eerie disposition. We follow Henry at his new school where a connection to Patty Newby blossoms but ultimately can’t prevent the horror that he will eventually enact. The high school scene is scattered with familiar characters from the Netflix series, as it appears nearly all the adult characters from the tv show are attended high school together.
What I liked
The most notable aspect of this show is undeniable the practical effects used to demonstrate the supernatural elements of the story. Projections are utilised in a variety of interesting and exciting ways throughout the show, sometimes for contextual montages of newspaper and files like we’re investigating the situation ourselves, and other times for depictions of Creel’s supernatural powers like well choreographed smoke manipulation. Other impressive mechanisms at play were whatever was used to depict the levitating bone-snapping murders, which were just as chilling as their CGI counterparts in the television series. I also enjoyed the slow motion fall in act 2, but did wish it was a little faster (granted for safety reasons I expect that wouldn’t be wise).
The favourite performance was from Joshua James as the young Dr Brenner, whose villainy was undeniably captivating. I was also impressed by were George Smale as Hopper Jr and Edie Wright as Karen Childress (eventually Wheeler), whose portrayals felt quite accurate to their television counterparts.
There was a surprise musical number in the first act, continuing my streak of plays randomly having a song. It felt slightly random but I feel that added to the disconcerting energy it gave off, which I enjoyed because it actually felt appropriate given its contextual nature.
What wasn’t my favourite
Whether it is the script or the direction, I feel the acting style and line deliveries were stylised in a way that felt detached from the original series. It felt exaggerated in a way that is more fitting to shows that encourage cheesiness, as opposed to the traditional grittiness that the original series has. I think this exacerbated by the fact that actors like Winona Ryder have a very distinguishable character in the Stranger Things series and I didn’t feel the younger portrayal was very similar at all, so the generic teenager performance fell a little flat to me. Some characters felt more similar, as I previously the performances of Dr Brennar, Hopper Jr and Karen Wheeler were all quite accurate, but generally I felt the heightened style was still a bit incongruous with the darker tones of the story and original work.
Overall
The spectacle of the show is the reason to see it, and any Stranger Things fan will enjoy seeing the characters they know and love again, even if they’re not super similar to their silver screen counterparts. You don’t need to be a Stranger Things fan though to appreciate the incredible design of this show, but I think knowing what they’re emulating in practical ways does make you appreciate it all the more. For me, this sits in the same category as The Cursed Child, it’s enjoyable to view but not a mandatory watch. (And at least this isn’t 5 hours long.)
