Tag Archives: Jamie Harrison

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“Stranger Things: The First Shadow” at the Phoenix Theatre

This acclaimed hit, with a couple of Olivier Awards last year and a Broadway transfer announced this week, is an adaptation of the Netflix teen horror TV show. Ticket sales are safe, fans happy, and the atmosphere is grand. It’s a long play, packed with action, and entertaining throughout. But perhaps the biggest achievement is that you don’t have to be a devotee of the source material to enjoy its venture on to the stage.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a prequel to the TV series, so we meet earlier versions of characters. But background information isn’t needed. It’s set in a small American town in 1959 – ticking boxes for atmospheric setting and nostalgia – where we follow troubled teen Henry Creel, somehow affected by a military experiment so that he has some kind of deadly power. It’s intriguing enough, but quite simple and lightly plotted, given the writing and story are credited to four people: Kate Trefry, The Duffer Brothers and Jack Thorne.

The TV format antecedents are clear. Tension comes from short scenes a few too many times, there are touches of soap opera about relationships, and the ending is poor (a jump scare and too obvious a call for a sequel). But there’s been a conscious and successful effort to move away from the small screen – director Stephen Daldry makes sure the show is ambitious and theatrical, not least with the inclusion of a play at school, a nice touch.

The coming-of-age story isn’t that convincing. Louis McCartney does a good job as the confused Henry and is excellent at being creepy. But his schoolmates are either too grown up or too immature. There’s a nice role for Ella Karuna Williams, who portrays Henry’s love interest, but her brother (played by Christopher Buckley) just ends up annoying. There are surely missed opportunities when it comes to Henry’s parents, played by Alex Young and Michael Jibson, who are both excellent but too clearly wasted. A suspicion of adults isn’t surprising in a show like this. Completing the theme is the scary scientist, another character written broadly but capably played by Patrick Vaill. The latter’s role as a substitute father for Henry could be developed further. But Netflix could easily cast all these guys in one of their shows… and hopefully they will.

It’s not so much the characters, or the story itself, as the telling of the tale that is the focus. And here Stranger Things: The First Shadow lives up to the hype. The technical accomplishments of the show are extraordinary. Miriam Buether’s expensive-looking set deserves more than one round of applause. The illusions and visual effects, by Jamie Harrison and Chris Fisher, will leave you scratching your head, and Jon Clark’s excellent lighting holds the key to a lot of them. Plus the (very loud) sound design by Paul Arditti adds immeasurably. It isn’t all high tech – a lot is done with just torches and the speed of the cast and crew. But what we see is key: the show looks fantastic and there’s no doubt you get your money’s worth.

Booking until 16 February 2025

www.uk.strangerthingsonstage.com

Photos by Manuel Harlan

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“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” at the Palace Theatre

I sometimes feel as if I’m the only person to have neither read nor seen the adventures of JK Rowling’s schoolboy wizard. Which might make blogging about the two plays that form a sequel a little foolhardy. Don’t curse me, but I’ve never been that bothered. And since the Potter corpus is an extensive one, my worry about joining in was whether I’d work out what was going on. Still, you can’t argue with a record nine Olivier awards. And, while my fears were not unfounded, they didn’t spoil a show that turned out to be lot of a fun.

With a successful #keepthesecrets campaign, I wouldn’t dare reveal plot points. And I wouldn’t want to, either, as the best thing here is the atmosphere: contagious enthusiasm and excitement in one of London’s biggest venues. And it’s a bit of relief to have to keep quiet. Those steeped in Potter lore might underestimate how complicated it is. Thankfully, as a coming-of-age adventure story, it is easy to keep up with. But I suffered for my ignorance: there was some nudging amongst the audience as they recognised favourite characters, a proper gasp at a revelation that left me baffled, and lots of jokes lost. The story is by Rowling herself. Abetted by Jack Thorne (credited for the script)  and the show’s director John Tiffany, the plot thickens nicely and their combined efforts make this gripping stuff.

The show is satisfyingly theatrical. The magic illusions from Jamie Harrison are good and spaced out well. There are eye-catching effects, but nor is Tiffany scared of small touches – which takes confidence in such a big show – so props are minimal and the stage often bare. It’s clear you can do a lot with a swirling cape and this crew really works them. Steven Hoggett’s movement direction is first rate. Best of all is Imogen Heap’s music for the show, which adds pace and atmosphere.

Even I know that the original films have led to fame for several youngsters. The focus here is on the next generation, with Samuel Blenkin making an astonishing professional debut, showing natural comic skills. Theo Ancient is there to deliver the teenage angst and confusion that makes the whole affair relatable and moving – he is fantastic, too. As for those stepping into very big shoes: Jamie Glover takes the part of Harry, rising to the challenge of a play that is demanding of its cast. The theme of fatherhood and friendship is a thoughtful vein amongst the fun. This trio and the intimate scenes between them are the strongest. Where we move from wizardry to the “messy emotional world” – that’s when we get the real magic.

www.harrypottertheplay.com

Photo by Manuel Harlan