London Theatre: Främmande saker: Den första skuggan

I was genuinely disappointed because the theatre itself is actually beautiful. It has a classic charm and the production looked fantastic. Unfortunately, the seating completely ruined the experience. If you’re over 6 feet tall—or honestly even average height—be prepared for an incredibly uncomfortable evening. The legroom is almost non-existent. Your knees are already pressed into the seat in front of you, and I was sitting on the end of the row where I should have had more room. What made it even worse was the decision to install fixed binocular viewers exactly where your knees naturally need to go. Instead of the little extra space that would have made the seat tolerable, your knees are forced against a hard, sharp metal fixture that can’t be moved. It’s baffling. Offering binoculars is a nice idea, but not when they make it physically impossible for many guests to sit comfortably for a performance. I ultimately had to leave before the halfway point—not because of the show, but because I simply couldn’t tolerate the seating any longer. I’ve never walked out of a theatre performance before, but I genuinely had no choice. It feels like the theatre prioritized squeezing a little extra revenue out of rented binoculars over the comfort of thousands of paying customers. I’d gladly have paid a couple of dollars more per ticket if it meant those outdated fixtures were removed and the seating became even remotely comfortable. The production deserves a better venue. The performers were excellent, and it’s unfortunate that such a great show is being held in a theatre that simply isn’t designed for modern audiences. Unless you’re quite small, I’d seriously think twice before booking. I can’t recommend this venue, and I hope management recognizes that customer comfort should come before trying to earn a few extra dollars from outdated binocular rentals.

Very exciting piece!! The scenography was very good, and made the whole piece felt very completed

We arrived late and someone was already in our seats, the manager was terrific and upgraded our seats.

Cancelled performance 20 minutes prior to it starting - Would've expected alternative cast members could fulfil the role that had unfortunately taken ill.

On our visit it was 35 degrees and no airconditioning. My partner and I have long legs, so we could not sit normal. We left after the first half, because we were in pain. The show itself was pretty cool (the part that we saw), with special effects and the actors gave a 100% in the heat. Nothing bad to say about the show itself, but the theatre is not one I will visit again.

We attended Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre and came away with mixed feelings. Starting with the show itself, it is a good production overall with some genuinely impressive and memorable special effects. A few moments are genuinely jaw-dropping and showcase the creativity behind the production. In hindsight, however, we would have liked more of those effects, as they were the clear highlights of the evening. Where the experience falls down is the theatre itself. The Phoenix Theatre feels too small for a production of this scale and popularity. The seating is extremely cramped and became uncomfortable after around 75 minutes. The toilet facilities were small, not particularly clean, and generated long queues both before the performance and during the interval. We also purchased the Priority Package, which proved to be a complete waste of money. In our view, it adds very little value and feels more like a cash grab than a premium experience. The basement hospitality area was underwhelming, and staff struggled to make some of the cocktails being offered. Meanwhile, the main bar was overwhelmed, with huge queues and insufficient time before the show or during the interval to comfortably get served. The merchandise operation was equally frustrating, with just a single staff member serving a large queue, leading to lengthy delays. Our advice would be simple: enjoy the show, but eat and drink elsewhere, skip the Priority Package, and be prepared for a venue that struggles to cope with the demand generated by such a popular production. The show itself is worth seeing, but the overall theatre experience falls well short of the standard you might expect for a West End production of this calibre.

I absolutely loved the play, it brought characters who we knew from the show to a whole new perspective seeing them when they were younger and the special effects shocked me. It felt like it had a bit of everything for anyone so i would recommended to anyone.

Save your money, please do not put yourself through this. Mind numbingly boring performance with unnecessarily loud sounds throughout such that I was sure my ear drum would burst. I fell asleep twice, checked my watch 20 times, and the highlight of the run time was the interval. We spent three quarters of the performance expecting it to pick up - it did not, the story line was confusing to follow unless you were properly concentrating. With 30 minutes to go we soon realised that the performance was just becoming a punishment at this point and we just could not continue. What was intended as a parents day out led to us leaving the show early to go for a spot of shopping and early dinner instead. As a prequel to the Stranger Things TV program, this theatrical performance could easily put someone off of watching the TV program entirely. It does no justice to the Stranger Things franchise and I cannot understand how people have given it a 5 star rating. I am a fan of the show and would never recommend this to anyone. A terrible waste of money in a tough and struggling economy. 1 star given for a fairly nice cappuccino and cookie.

Yes, some great effects and I can't fault the actors. However, the promise of the first 10 minutes doesn't follow-through and you're left with a basic 1950s high-school based drama that is quite frankly flat in parts. For some reason Hopper has morphed into Kenickie from Grease and there's confusion around certain characters ages/experiences not matching up with the show at all - which is a distraction. Not exciting enough, not fun enough and not Stranger Things enough, sadly.

Wow what a show, amazing special effects that make you jump out of your skin! The cast are incredible and you quickly realise that this is a prequel to the tv show however you really need to be a fan otherwise you won’t have a clue what’s going it’s not for non fans. The staging is slick and the show moves at a good pace not dwelling too long on anyone aspect. The choreography is superb. I would caution taking anyone under 14 as some of the language is fruity at times and it could be frightening for younger children. It has several very loud bangs and small explosions. The phoenix threatre is very old and you have to make allowances for the fact that this is a Victorian building it is cramped and the gangways and seats are small in comparison to modern buildings how ever this does add to the atmosphere. The view from the grand circle was good and you only missed a very small bit of the show when the actors walk into the stalls but this is not an issue. Overall amazing.