Louis McCartney to Star in ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ on Broadway

Louis McCartney will make his Broadway debut in “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” in which he will reprise his role as Henry Creel from the Olivier Award-winning West End production.

“Louis is an astonishing actor, and we are unbelievably proud of the incredible life he has breathed into the role of Henry Creel onstage in the West End,” said director Stephen Daldry and co-director Justin Martin. “From the moment we first met him, we knew he was special, and we are thrilled that Broadway audiences will have the opportunity to witness his extraordinary performance.”

McCartney made his professional stage debut originating the role of Henry Creel in the West End production of “Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” which earned him the 2024 Stage Debut Award for best performer in a play and the Critics Circle Award for most promising newcomer. His final performance in the West End production is Nov. 10.

Additional casting for “The First Shadow” on Broadway will be announced at a later date.

The events depicted in “The First Shadow” take place years before Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard), Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) and the rest of the crew from the Netflix series entered the Upside Down. The play’s synopsis reads, “Before the world turned upside down. Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy…and the shadows of the past have a very long reach.”

“The First Shadow” is written by “Stranger Things” scribe and executive producer Kate Trefry. It’s based on an original story by “Stranger Things” creators Matt and Ross Duffer, along with “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” playwright Jack Thorne and Trefry.

“Stranger Things: The First Shadow” will run at the Marquis Theatre with preview performances beginning on March 28, 2025, ahead of opening night on April 22.