14 – 15 November
For those not already in the know, “Stranger Things” is an American science fiction horror drama series which first aired on our small screens in 2016. It has since gone on to become one of the most successful shows of the Netflix era, making household names out of the child (now adult) actors and helping to resurrect the careers of some of its older stars. The eagerly-awaited fifth and final series was commissioned in 2022 and will inevitably be one of the most watched and streamed series of 2024 when it finally lands.
Precisely because the show has become a popular culture phenomenon in the last seven years, it is no surprise that a spin-off spoof has followed, which is very much in the American tradition of sending up its own success stories: the “Airplane” films parodied the slew of aviation disaster movies from the 1970s; “Blazing Saddles” poked fun at archetypal westerns inspired by the heyday of America’s Wild West; “Young Frankenstein”, arguably Mel Brooks’ funniest work, spoofed the Hammer series of Gothic horror films. Mocking success has been a popular and lucrative Hollywood trend for decades.
“Stranger Sings” transfers the spoof to the stage, hilariously and cleverly reimagined and set to music. An award-winning musical in its own right, the show scooped a hatful of gongs in the Off-Broadway Awards in 2021, including for Best New Musical. It is easy to see why. Writer and lyricist Jonathan Hogue has combined with director Ellis Kerkhoven and their creative team to produce a high-energy and hugely enjoyable homage with an impressively multi-talented cast. There are strong, energetic performances throughout, with all eight players showcasing their ability to sing, dance and act – often simultaneously – together with some impressive costumes, courtesy of Ellie Farrow. The choreography is slick too, with most of the cast in a state of almost constant motion. Justin Williams’ set design impresses too: gone are the days when stagehands dressed in black discreetly shift props and furniture in the dark. Nowadays, the cast do it themselves, and we happily embrace it as part of a more fluid theatrical experience.
Whilst this is a thinly-disguised reworking of the original show, “Stranger Sings” also takes aim at a wide range of iconic 1980s classics – “The Goonies”, and “ET: The Extra Terrestrial” to name but two. Even “Sesame Street” fails to escape parody, thanks to the inspired decision to use puppetry for one of the main characters. Whilst the TV show’s creators, the Duffer brothers, were clearly inspired by everything from “Stand By Me” to “Rocky Horror” when creating the show, such a spoof allows the freedom to blatantly pastiche and namecheck other shows and films for fun, rather than the more subtle influences evident in “Stranger Things”.
The pace is unrelenting, the humour comes thick and fast, the in-jokes keep us chuckling. My only criticism of this otherwise thoroughly entertaining show is that the pace of the dialogue is too fast, the enunciation lacking clarity at certain times, and from certain characters which, for the uninitiated, can make the plot a little difficult to follow. A familiarity with the TV show, whilst not essential, is therefore strongly advised if one is to enjoy this theatrical and musical treat to the full. An extensive tour in 2024 will allow plenty of opportunities to do just that.
★★★★☆ Tony Clarke 16 November 2023
