Stranger Things: The First Shadow - Phoenix

Not got tickets for the previews but walking pass the phoenix theatre and the new bar/foyer looks superb and vast improvement to the front. Goes right across the road side and is glass fronted.
They were getting things ready and seems they have the merchandise up and running. Could not see the prices but the list showed t-shirt, adult hoodie, tote bag, keyring, scarf, magnet, beanie hat, bookmark, mugs and your very own plush soft mini toy of a demigorgon.
The souvenir programme caught my eye as looks to be large square booklet and quite a few pages thick certainly looked more than double normal show brochure thickness.

Have a good time anyone seeing it this year and hope you don't get stuck in the otherside forever or ripped apart by a demigorgon. (And that the play is scarier than the tube ride in is likely to be)

First bit of advice: merch lines are enormous, be prepared to queue!!!

Not at the downstairs stand I ended up at. But that one wasn’t selling tshirts either!

Stickers on phones. Oh dear. I mean, it’s presumably not desperation because they’re not suffering on sales but my god… do not do that. It’s soooo naf.

(Again no spoilers)
That was good! Not sure what non TV fans would get from it but then I’m not sure why you’d go if you didn’t know the series? Cast acting their socks off, especially the younger set. I’m going to try to book to see it again, even with the run time - with the delayed start and a brief hello from the director we got out at 11:10 ish, so when it runs smoothly I think it’ll be around 11.

Maybe that'll come with the strike-delayed TV season 5?

Not to give anything away - but if you’ve followed Stephen’s career there is certainly a nod to one of his past shows in Stranger Things :-)

He was at the theatre door as folks were exiting - thanking patrons for coming. He also apologized profusely for the shows delayed start whilst folks were waiting to be let into the venue. He really comes across as a “nice guy”

Yeah I’d say it feels like it’s expecting audiences to immediately go home and start watching the series again (it’s me, I’m audiences) but it could do with a bigger onstage bang to finish it up.

I agree with the sentiments of this post.

When writers respect the canon of their show, as the Duffer Brothers evidently do, there is only so much you can do in a prequel with established characters.

Within these restrictions, I can't imagine a more fulfilling prequel for show aficionados, with great special effects, multiple humorous moments and characterisations, and a weighty central drama.

Louis McCartney, as Henry Creel, does a phenomenal and nuanced job of carrying a lot of the dramatic weight, while Isabella Pappas, Oscar Lloyd and Christopher Buckley as Joyce Maldonado, James Hopper Jr and Bob Newby, respectively, are very faithful, funny and entertaining in their portrayals of these much loved characters. In supporting roles, Calum Ross's wired Walter Henderson and Max Harwood's goofy Alan Munson are a hoot.

The run time was 3 and a half hours (with half an hour being the interval itself, during which Daldry told us a lot has to happen behind the curtain), as predicted above by someone smart, although it may be shorter eventually if the affable and brilliant Stephen Daldry decides to cut some of the fat (though show superfans will be loathe for that to happen, I know lol).

For me, an easy 4 stars even at the first preview.

I'll say more later in the other thread.

Perhaps referencing the production photo that was released yesterday. It doesn’t show set but lots of projection use.

V. much looking forward to this. Seeing next week. Never watched the TV series, however. What could I do to best prepare.
If anything. Thanks folks.