If you want to see Stranger Things: The First Shadow in London, you have until the end of the year. The producers, Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions, announced in June that the West End run will end with a final performance on 27 December, after more than 1,500 shows. The Broadway version closes a week later, on 3 January 2027.
There’s a wrinkle in the dates, though. The official site and ATG, the ticket seller, both currently say booking runs until Wednesday 23 December, and the official site has a banner reading “must end 23 December”. The last few performances up to the 27th may simply not have been released yet, so if the final weekend is what you’re after, keep checking the calendar and don’t assume it’s sold out or cancelled.
What it is
A prequel to the Netflix series, set in Hawkins, Indiana in 1959, when a teenage Jim Hopper, Bob Newby and Joyce Maldonado are at high school and a new boy called Henry Creel arrives. It was written by Kate Trefry from an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne and Trefry, and directed by Stephen Daldry. It opened at the Phoenix Theatre on 14 December 2023 and won two Olivier Awards (Best Entertainment and Best Set Design) as well as the WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Play.
The production says it is canon, and that it’s worth seeing for how it connects to the series. You’ll also meet a new character, Bob Newby’s sister Patty. You don’t need to have watched the show to follow it, but the theatre’s advice is a good one: check you’re comfortable with the level of content in the TV series.
Age, and what’s in it
It runs three hours including an interval. The recommended age is 12 and over, under-5s aren’t admitted at all, and anyone under 16 has to be with an adult. The warnings are longer than most: gunfire audio, loud noises and explosions, haze and smoke, flashing lights and strobe, complete blackouts and strong language, plus depictions of mental health conditions and disorders. If you want to ask about a specific effect, the official site has a form for it.
Two rules worth knowing. Ticket resale isn’t permitted for this show, so don’t buy from a stranger. And once it starts, readmission isn’t guaranteed: if you leave the auditorium you may be held for a while before being taken back to your seat.
What it costs
There’s a £3.80 transaction charge on top of the ticket price. The site has family rates when you book four or more tickets: four £30 seats for £99 (saving £21), four £65 seats for £199 (saving £61) or four £80 seats for £299 (saving £21). Groups of ten or more book through Groupline. The site also points out that weekday performances are the best value, with late ticket releases in the weeks ahead.
Tickets can be exchanged up to 48 hours before a performance but are non-refundable under ATG’s terms. When they arrive is a bit unclear: one FAQ answer says they’re emailed 48 hours before the performance and not earlier, and another says two weeks before. Either way, check your email and spam folder in the days leading up to the show. The phone line is 0333 009 6690.
Access
The Phoenix Theatre’s accessible entrance is at the side of the building on Flitcroft Street. It gives step-free access from the street to Row A of the Dress Circle (the high-numbers side), to Box C and to the accessible toilet. Nothing in the production’s own FAQ describes step-free access to the Stalls, so ask before booking if you need it. There’s no parking on site. Phoenix Street, in front of the main entrance, is suitable for drop-off, and taxis can be hailed on Charing Cross Road.
To book accessible seats online you need to join the ATG Access Scheme first, and the seat map then shows accessible seats and essential companion tickets for each performance. Free essential companion tickets need proof of eligibility, which is handled by Nimbus Disability. By phone, the ATG access line is open from 9am to 8pm every day, and the number is 0333 009 5399 (the official FAQ prints it with a digit missing). You can also book in person at the box office just inside the main entrance, on the left of the foyer.
The remaining accessible performance listed is a captioned show at 3pm on Sunday 6 December. The BSL, audio-described and first captioned performances have already run.
Where it is
The Phoenix Theatre is on Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0JP, close to Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square stations. It’s in the same part of the West End as the London Coliseum, and Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club is a walk down towards the river, so a weekend of two shows is easy to plan.
It also joins a run of big shows leaving. The Producers, Hercules and Starlight Express have all closed since May, and this one goes at the end of December. If it’s on your list, book soon.
Stranger Things: The First Shadow
- Address
- Phoenix Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0JP
- Nearest
- Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square. Taxis can be hailed on Charing Cross Road and the main entrance is on Phoenix Street, which is suitable for drop-off. There is no on-site parking
- Hours
- Three hours including an interval. Booking is shown until Wednesday 23 December 2026 on the official site and ATG, while the producers announced the final performance as 27 December 2026. Box office phone 0333 009 6690
- Booking
- Through the official site or ATG Tickets. Exchanges up to 48 hours before, no refunds, ticket resale not permitted, and readmission to the auditorium during the show is not guaranteed
- Price
- A 3.80 pound transaction charge applies. Family rates when booking four or more: four 30 pound seats for 99, four 65 pound seats for 199, four 80 pound seats for 299. Groups of ten or more through Groupline
- Standing
- A prequel play to the Netflix series, set in Hawkins in 1959, which opened at the Phoenix Theatre on 14 December 2023 and won two Olivier Awards, for Best Entertainment and Best Set Design
How to get in
Recommended for ages 12 and over, with under-5s not admitted and under-16s needing an adult. The show contains gunfire audio, loud noises, haze, flashing lights and strobe, complete blackouts and strong language. The final London performance is 27 December 2026 per the producers, although booking currently stops at 23 December. The accessible entrance on Flitcroft Street gives step-free access only to Row A of the Dress Circle, Box C and the accessible toilet.
Where to go next
The best West End shows covers what else is on, and cheap theatre tickets covers the lotteries and day seats.
The London Palladium has its Christmas pantomime from December, and Witness for the Prosecution is booking into 2027.
Questions we get asked
When does Stranger Things: The First Shadow close in London?
The producers announced in June 2026 that the final London performance at the Phoenix Theatre is on 27 December 2026, after more than 1,500 performances. The Broadway production closes a week later on 3 January 2027. The official site and ATG currently show booking until Wednesday 23 December, so the final performances may not yet be on sale.
How long is Stranger Things: The First Shadow?
Three hours including an interval. The recommended age is 12 and over, children under 5 are not admitted, and anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Do you need to have seen Stranger Things to watch the play?
No, but the production suggests checking that you and your party are comfortable with the level of content in the TV series. It is a prequel set in 1959, and it describes itself as canon to the original story.
Is Stranger Things: The First Shadow wheelchair accessible?
Partly. The accessible entrance is on Flitcroft Street and gives step-free access from the street to Row A of the Dress Circle on the high-numbers side, to Box C and to the accessible toilet. There is no on-site parking. To book accessible seats online you must join the ATG Access Scheme, and free essential companion tickets need proof of eligibility.
Can you resell Stranger Things: The First Shadow tickets?
No. ATG states that ticket resale is not permitted for this event, so tickets bought from resellers may not be valid. Tickets can be exchanged up to 48 hours before a performance, but they are non-refundable.
Are there cheap tickets for Stranger Things: The First Shadow?
There are family rates when you book four or more tickets: four 30 pound seats for 99 pounds, four 65 pound seats for 199 pounds or four 80 pound seats for 299 pounds. The site also recommends weekday performances as the best value and says late ticket releases appear in the weeks ahead. A 3.80 pound transaction charge applies.
What are the content warnings for Stranger Things: The First Shadow?
The production contains gunfire audio, loud noises and explosions, haze and smoke, flashing lights and strobe, complete blackouts and strong language, plus depictions of various mental health conditions and disorders. The official site has a form for queries about specific effects.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 411 in the guide.
Last checked 10 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
