NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Something wicked this way comes: who starred in the play in London will reprise his creepy monster on Broadway.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a privilege to be able to tell this story in another part of the world,鈥� McCartney tells The Associated Press. 鈥淚鈥檓 ecstatic to be able to fly across the pond and be able to do that all over again, but better, in New York.鈥�
Set in Indiana 20 years before the events of the Netflix show's first season, the play focuses on the life of McCartney's Henry Creel as a shy, awkward teen. Fans of the TV show will know the teen becomes the villainous monster Vecna in the fourth season.
鈥淚f you haven鈥檛 watched 鈥楽tranger Things,鈥� then this is a great opportunity for you to have an introduction because it鈥檚 a prequel,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t is it's own standalone story and it's got everything in it that will make you love 鈥楽tranger Things鈥� again.鈥�
The Belfast-born, London-based McCartney got the role after an open casting call and earned raves portraying a teen with psychic and psychokinetic abilities. He says the Broadway version will be even better, accommodating a larger theater.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a new playground," he says. 鈥淚magine what we鈥檝e done now but times 10. If the illusions go up, then the story has to go up. I think there鈥檚 more story to tell. And I think we can go deeper."
鈥� 鈥� will begin performances on March 28, 2025, ahead of an official opening of April 22, 2025. The original story is by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne and Kate Trefry and is directed by Stephen Daldry and co-directed by Justin Martin.
McCartney was a diehard 鈥淪tranger Things鈥� fan but had no plans to be a stage actor. He trained in screen work and credits Daldry and Martin with seeing his potential.
He says 鈥淪tranger Things: The First Shadow鈥� is world-bending and mesmerizing with demogorgons and special effects, but it is grounded in heartfelt tragedy, especially his doomed Henry, a 鈥淗amlet鈥�-like figure, who was played on TV by Jamie Campbell Bower.
鈥淚t鈥檚 this character with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He can鈥檛 understand what鈥檚 wrong with him. He wants to know what鈥檚 going on inside of his mind, like every 14-year-old boy does,鈥� he says.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all built on love. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 so sad about it 鈥� every single thing he does, he does it for love. He鈥檚 pulled in each and every direction.鈥�
The play is set in 1959, where audiences meet the troubled teenage Henry as he moves to Hawkins, Indiana, with his damaged dad and overprotective mom. Pets start to wind up dead, and the radio begins going haywire, among other odd phenomenon.
McCartney has drawn on his own childhood to capture that moment when a teen's voice starts cracking and they are shy and lacking of social skills, especially around girls.
鈥淚 sort of felt alienated from everybody else at times. But then I also felt included, and people began to understand who I was,鈥� says McCartney. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very cathartic with Henry Creel. It鈥檚 very easy to cry on stage with this writing. It's so in touch with what everybody else feels.鈥�
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
