Try not to get whiplash from flipping into the Upside Down with the newly announced cast of Broadway’sStranger Things: The First Shadow. We first learned back in August that the hit production, now running in London’s West End, willmake its journey to the Great White Way in 2025, and now we have a better idea of how the cast is shaping up. Thanks to a social media post, viewers are invited to get up-close-and-personal with the new cast as they introduce themselves and reveal what parts they’ll be playing. Included in the main ensemble is a lineup that includes Emmy Award-nomineeGabrielle Nevaeh(That Girl Lay Lay) as Patty Newby,Stranger ThingsSeason 5starAlex Breaux(Joe Pickett) as Dr. Brenner, Emmy Award-nomineeT.R. Knight(Grey’s Anatomy) as Victor Creel,Nicky Eldridgeas Bob Newby,Alison Jaye(Shameless) as Joyce Maldonado,Burke Swanson(Back to the Future: The Musical) as James Hopper Jr.,Rosie Benton(Patriots) as Virginia Creel,Louis McCartney(Hope Street), andAndrew Hovelson(Lucky Guy) as Principal Newby.
Along with the introductions, Knight takes a moment to spell out the plot ofStranger Things: The First Shadow, explaining that it’s a prequel story of what happened in Hawkins long beforeour fearsome gang of best friendsfirst dipped into theUpside Down in Season 1.As readers may have already noticed from the character names, the production will go back in time to 1959, whenthe adults who we’ve come to know and lovein the Netflix series were students at Hawkins High School. At the center of the story is the arrival of a new family, the Creels, whose son, Henry Creel, begins to display some rather odd behaviors while secrets from the family’s past begin to step into the light.
Who’s Behind ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’?
The story comes from none other thanMatt and Ross Duffer, known collaboratively as the Duffer brothers, who are also responsible for the creation ofStranger Things. The pair worked on the original story alongsideJack ThorneandKate Trefry, with Trefry picking up the foundation of the tale and fully weaving it into its screenplay form. Having previously stood behind such iconic on-stage titles asThe InheritanceandThe Audience, as well as feature-length productions includingBilly ElliotandThe Hours, three-time Tony Award winnerStephen Daldryserves as the play’s director, withJustin Martinjoining as an executive producer.
Check out the cast’s message to fans in the video above and stay tuned to Collider for more casting announcements early next year. Performances begin on Broadway’s Marquis Theatre on Friday, July 19, 2025, with the show officially opening on Tuesday, July 13, 2025.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Stranger Things: The First Shadow, a gripping new adventure that will take you right back to the beginning. The story serves as a prequel to the events of the television series Stranger Things.
