Stranger Things: The First Shadow - Phoenix

After all that sold out until January notices the ATG site is showing a fair number of seats avaliable especially for second part of December.

Attended last nights preview, here’s my thoughts

Show started on time at 7.30 last night, 20 minute interval, so done by 10.50. If they don’t cut anything when regular performances start this will mean a 10.20 finish, which is reasonable.

Merch: SOOO much stuff, spread across three stands, but the only one selling the full range was a large display in a bar upstairs, so make sure you have a good look around. Can’t help but think a lot of people missed out on the clothing because it’s only sold in one place. Prices aren’t too bad, 25 for a t shirt.

The staff were incredibly anal about the stickers over the phones, repeatedly asking before the auditorium was open whether you had one, then checking your phone every time you went in, or out, or to another level lol. Got annoying after a bit, and useless anyway, as a scouse father and daughter next to me just peeled the sticker down and were taking photos of the stage before it started anyway! 😂

The show itself? Firstly, the acting was phenomenal, especially among the young cast members, they were really going for it. Young Henry creel carries the show and he’s amazing, so intense. The performances across the board are definitely the main the draw for this show.

The effects are mind blowing, especially at the start and all through the first act. Like others have said I feel it lacks a big finale though, as impressive as all the set pieces are throughout the show, it could have done with a big bang at the end, instead it just…. ends. Kind of makes you feel a little anticlimactic when the curtain call starts, like, oh… that’s it? There really is some amazing stage trickery though, being a long time theatre goer and on the third row lol, i could never not work out how things were being done, but they were fabulous all the same.

Accessibility to the story: I think a thorough knowledge of the show is needed to fully appreciate this, and I don’t just mean you’ve watched it, I mean you know every character’s full name lol. So many Easter eggs regarding characters parents etc. They don’t really explain much of the lore of the show either, couldn’t help think you wouldn’t have a clue what was going on if you’re not a fan.

Final thoughts: if you’re a fan, highly recommended. Not for non fans but I guess if you don’t like the tv show why would you even be there anyway? 🤷🏻‍♂️ The show IS long, there’s a few bits I would cut to make it a bit more snappy but don’t know if they will. As much as I love musicals, the big dance number could definitely go, doesn’t fit in at all and just seems like a waste of time. Also, there’s some silly larking about that doesn’t progress the story that could go too.

Do I think it’ll be a hit? Hard to say once all the fans have seen it. Can’t see it being huge like cursed child, as popular as the franchise is it’s not Harry Potter, and the show really does rely on you absolutely knowing the source material backward and forward to get full enjoyment out of it 🤷🏻‍♂️

I'm the same. I'd better start watching it.

I got a mail that my matinee performance has been moved from 2pm to 1pm "to ensure that the technical team has sufficient time to prepare the stage between the matinee and evening shows" - wow, that sounds busy

I was really looking forward to this but I left somewhat disappointed. I'll say more in the spoilers thread at some point and I know it's still in previews so expect (and hope!) for revisions, but for me:

- Far too long, a number of scenes could be trimmed or cut entirely. There's an entire subplot that IMO doesn't need to exist

- Pacing in general needs considerable tightening - will hopefully come after previews

- The story is THIN. I guess necessarily as a prequel to a TV series that hasn't yet released its final season, the play can't give information that's required to understand what's happening in the TV show. Nothing drives the story forward.

- Some great effects, but nothing that hasn't been done elsewhere - and some elements not quite working as they should with a fair element of clunk and a rather comical moment where something that I presume should have happened earlier in a scene happened during a set change

- Quite a bit of filler between a handful of big scenes - remove some of the filler, keep the killer, and this could be a show with much more impact

- There's no emotion to be found - at no point did I really *feel* anything for any of the characters

- Patrick Vaill -

- A being-somewhat-kind-because-I-know-it's-in-previews 3/5

How did you find it?

I've never seen the show, know nothing about it and I don't even have Netflix to binge watch it. But I'm curious, want to see it....

I saw it last week. Managed to get a seat in row E on the aisle for £62… I don’t know how!

I’m not hugely familiar with the series but I watched the catchup series mentioned earlier in this thread and that was useful.

It’s too long but it’s engrossing with wonderful staging, effects (one involving a small creature blew my mind) and the design was great though I didn’t like the revolve always moving during some scenes.

The theatre however is a mess. One tiny loo for the men in the stalls, right corridors and a confusing layout. It needs a complete refurb.

Dare I coin a new term for this type of play - along with cursed child and refer to this as a “mega play”.

Overall I loved it!

Same here

If you head up the stairs next to the stalls gents and reach the Charing Cross Road bar, there’s a big new set of gents - a lot quieter !

For those interested, last night’s performance came to about three hours including interval. According to Daldry, new scenes and pieces of set were introduced that day.

Would definitely go back once this has bedded in.

Interesting! 30 mins cut and yet new scenes added!

Please share more details in the spoilers thread?