The Big Picture
- The upcoming play The First Shadow will take audiences back to Hawkins in 1959, two decades before the events of Stranger Things.
- Fan-favorite characters such as Joyce Byers, Jim Hopper Jr., and Bob Newby will be portrayed by new actors on stage.
- The ensemble cast of The First Shadow includes both familiar faces and new characters, adding depth to the world of Stranger Things.
Are you ready for a trip into the Upside Down unlike any other? Today Netflix has announced the official cast for the upcoming Stranger Things play The First Shadow which is set to take audiences back two decades before the events of the series to Hawkins, 1959. Bringing a mix of established characters and new faces to the West End in November, The First Shadow will see Isabella Pappas and Oscar Lloyd as fan favorites Joyce Byers née Maldonado and Jim Hopper Jr. Joining these two fan favorites on stage will be Christopher Buckley playing the younger version of Joyce’s Season 2 beau, Bob Newby.
The First Shadow is set to take viewers back to when a young Henry Creel first moved to Hawkins before he became the monster known as Vecna. In the play, the child with powers comparable to Eleven’s will be played by Louis McCartney, with Lauren Ward and Michael Jibson playing his parents Virginia and Victor. And the mastermind behind all the nefarious goings on at Hawkins lab, Doctor Brenner will be played by Patrick Vaill.
Of the casting, series creators Matt and Ross Duffer said:
“The cast of Stranger Things: The First Shadow is nothing short of phenomenal. These actors brilliantly explore the early days of many fan favorites – including Hopper, Joyce, Bob, Henry and Dr. Brenner – while also bringing new characters to vivid life. We couldn’t be more thrilled and can’t wait for you to meet them all live on stage. See you in London, nerds!”
The Ensemble Cast of ‘The First Shadow’ Adds Depth to The World of ‘Stranger Things’
The above characters aren’t the only familiar faces that will take the stage when The First Shadow debuts this fall. Chase Brown will play the younger version of Joyce Byers deadbeat ex Lonnie Byers, Ammar Duffus will play Lucas’ dad Charles Sinclair, Gilles Geary and Florence Guy will play Ted Wheeler and Karen Childress, and Maisie Norma Seaton will play Dustin’s Mom Claudia Henderson. The play will also feature some characters we haven’t seen on screen but whose names might be familiar — the remaining cast includes Shane Attwooll as Chief Hopper, Ella Caruna Williams as Patty Newby (pictured below with the main cast), Max Harwood as Allen Munson, Kemi Awoderu as Sue Anderson, Matthew Pidgeon as Father Newby, and Calum Ross as Walter Henderson. Additional cast whose roles haven’t been revealed include Tricia Adele-Turner, Lauren Arney, Reya-Nyomi Brown, Patricia Castro, Lydia Fraser, Isaac Gryn, Mark Hammersly, Tom Peters, Kingdom Sibanda, Tiana Simone, Danny Sykes and Meesha Turner.
The First Shadow will be directed by Stephen Daldry with co-direction from Justin Martin. The script was written by series writer Kate Trefry from a story by herself along with the Duffer brothers and Jack Thorne. In a statement, Daldry and Martin said:
“With rehearsals now underway, it’s a joy to discover the world of Stranger Things: The First Shadow with our ferociously talented cast and watch the alchemy amongst our entire company grow as we together explore this new play. They’re an extraordinarily gifted group of actors, and we can’t wait to share this origin story with audiences.”
Stranger Things: The First Shadow takes the stage at the Phoenix Theatre beginning November 17. You can get your tickets here, and in the meantime, check out the new cast images below.
