Broadway is 'Upside Down'! The 'Stranger Things' Episode

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Broadway is 'Upside Down'! The 'Stranger Things' Episode"

Podcast: The Broadway Show: Uncut
Host: Tamsen Fadal
Release Date: August 6, 2025
Episode Title: Broadway is 'Upside Down'! The 'Stranger Things' Episode

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of The Broadway Show: Uncut, host Tamsen Fadal delves into the groundbreaking Broadway adaptation of the popular Netflix series Stranger Things. Tamsen introduces the episode by highlighting how Broadway has been "turned upside down" by the prequel play titled Stranger Things: The First Shadow. This adaptation promises to expand the beloved universe of Stranger Things by exploring the backstory of one of its enigmatic villains, Henry Creel.

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Interview with Louis McCartney

Settling into New York and the Broadway Community

Louis McCartney, a Tony-nominated actor portraying Henry Creel, shares his transition to New York City. Having officially moved to the city on January 14th, Louis reflects on his nearly seven-month experience living in the bustling metropolis.

[00:48] Louis McCartney: "I've been here officially since January 14th. So it's coming up on, what, six, seven months now."

Louis expresses his appreciation for the inclusive and supportive Broadway community, contrasting it with his experiences in London. He emphasizes the familial atmosphere and the ease of making connections within the theater circles.

[01:12] Louis McCartney: "The inclusivity has been really nice."

Portraying Henry Creel: Character Depth and Storytelling

Delving into his role as Henry Creel, Louis explains that the play serves as a prequel to the TV series, offering a more nuanced portrayal of the character previously seen as the enigmatic sociopath in Stranger Things.

[02:30] Louis McCartney: "We're giving a bit of paint to that. You're saying, why? Why is he like that?"

Louis assures listeners that familiarity with the Stranger Things series enhances the experience but is not a prerequisite to appreciate the play's narrative depth and character development.

[03:33] Louis McCartney: "But it's very human, and it's very Greek. You know, you'll have a Hamlet archetype with the protagonist, Henry Creel."

Auditioning and the Creative Process

Louis recounts his audition journey, highlighting the rigorous process and the eventual casting in the role of Henry. He describes the challenges of working in the unforgiving rehearsal space at Three Mills in London, which contributed to the play's gritty atmosphere.

[03:45] Louis McCartney: "We were creating a play in a place that didn't want us to create a play. And we were going, no, we want to create this story here."

Vocal Training and Performance Maintenance

Maintaining the character's voice was a significant aspect of Louis's preparation. He credits dialect coaches William Conacher and Liz Hayes for helping him refine his American accent and develop the physicality required for the role.

[09:58] Louis McCartney: "It's just a job. But you also need to be prepared to, you know, say, like, this is the, like, last night's performance."

Tony Nomination and Personal Reflections

Receiving a Tony nomination alongside George Clooney was a monumental moment for Louis. He shares his excitement and the surreal experience of discovering his nomination.

[12:24] Louis McCartney: "It's wild. You know, I met him once, and he was a really nice guy... He was like, well done."

Louis also discusses his wardrobe choices for the Tony Awards, emphasizing collaboration with his partner and stylist to achieve a look that is both smart and youthful.

Future Aspirations and Audience Engagement

Looking ahead, Louis expresses his desire to continue in theater, mentioning roles like the MC in Cabaret and a potential reboot of the Aragon series. He also highlights the diverse and enthusiastic audience, noting that a significant portion are first-time theatergoers attracted by the Stranger Things connection.

[16:22] Tamsen Fadal: "I love the fact that that's such a new audience because that is such an important integration right now is to bring that in and to bring all people into theater."

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Interview with T.R. Knight

Behind the Scenes of "Stranger Things: The First Shadow"

Following a brief advertisement break, Tamsen Fadal welcomes T.R. Knight, another star of the Stranger Things prequel. T.R. provides insights into the technological marvels of the production, emphasizing the blend of special effects and intimate storytelling.

[18:30] T.R. Knight: "There's this kind of massive machinery to it. But then it also exists as this kind of quiet tragedy of a play as well."

Working with Esteemed Directors and a Large Ensemble

T.R. discusses the honor of working under the direction of Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin, highlighting the collaborative effort required for a cast of 34 members, many of whom are making their Broadway debuts.

[21:08] T.R. Knight: "It's really a lot. And a lot of them are making their Broadway debuts. Most of them are."

Balancing Tragedy and Technological Elements

The role demands a deep emotional connection amid the play's complex technological elements. T.R. describes the challenges of portraying a damaged individual while navigating the intricate special effects that define the production.

[23:28] T.R. Knight: "It's a ride. It's like one of those roles where it's just like the tap root has to go really deep."

Theater vs. Television: A Personal Preference

T.R. shares his profound appreciation for theater, contrasting it with the isolating nature of film and television work. He emphasizes the communal and collaborative essence of live performances, which he finds deeply fulfilling.

[26:36] T.R. Knight: "It feels like home... the community, building something together."

Future Projects and Continuation in Theater

Expressing his passion for theater, T.R. mentions his interest in exploring more challenging roles and participating in productions that offer rich collaborative experiences.

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Conclusion

Tamsen Fadal wraps up the episode by inviting listeners to secure their tickets for Stranger Things: The First Shadow through Broadway.com, emphasizing the play's unique blend of beloved lore and fresh theatrical storytelling.

[29:15] T.R. Knight: "It's a lot of good energy. And that's something that Sonya, from the start, she's impressive in so many, so many ways."

The episode offers a comprehensive look into the intersection of popular television narratives and live theater, showcasing the dedication and passion of actors like Louis McCartney and T.R. Knight in bringing Stranger Things to the Broadway stage.

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Tune in next week for more behind-the-scenes insights and extended interviews with Broadway's biggest stars!

Transcript

[Tamsen Fadal]

Welcome to the Broadway show Uncut. I'm Tamsen Fadal, and this is gonna be a fun one, because Broadway has been turned upside down by Stranger Things. The First Shadow. It's a prequel to the hit Netflix show. And on this episode of the pod, I catch up with two of the stars. Coming up in just a few, you'll hear from T.R. knight. But first, I got to chat with Tony nominee Louis McCartney. He plays Henry Cre. Well, it's nice to see you.

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah, thanks for having me.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Thank you for taking time out and using your voice up a little bit for the interview, because I feel like that is a very important part of your life right now.

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah, yeah. I know it takes a lot of work, but I love doing it.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Well, we're talking a little bit about New York. How long have you been here now, officially?

[Louis McCartney]

I've been here officially since January 14th. So it's coming up on, what, six, seven months now.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Wow.

[Louis McCartney]

Got my first vacation in a week, which is going to be so weird to leave New York because. Yeah, anywhere good?

[Tamsen Fadal]

Going anywhere good?

[Louis McCartney]

Going back to England. Just see some people, see some friends and just hang out.

[Tamsen Fadal]

What do you like about New York? I mean, you're hitting summertime here, so this is, like, hot and steamy and.

[Louis McCartney]

You know, But I love a lot of the culture around theater is really surprising. The Broadway community, people told me, you know, there is one, and in London, you know, you could say there's, like, definitely tissue connecting the shows that you can say, oh, I know so and so, because they're in Harry Potter here. It's like, I do actually know people in Harry Potter, and it's really strange and lovely to have this new world of, like, open arms and open hearts. And it's honestly made the whole process so much easier to know that I have friends in any part of New York. You know, any event, there's always somebody there that knows me and will say hi and will give me a hug, say, hey, we're talking about this. And that's what I love about it. You know, the inclusivity has been really nice.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I, I, I agree with you completely. I know it's a big city. I know there's lots and lots of people and people come from everywhere, but I do feel it's very. There's a lot of family here. There's a lot of family here.

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah, I know. Especially coming off as, like, an alien and being here on my own and, you know, leaving my life, it's. It's been, there's been challenges and then, honestly, like the Broadway community's made, it just completed that part of me.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Let's talk about the character Henry Crow, because that is, if you're a fan of Stranger Things, do you have to have seen Stranger Things to be able to understand and appreciate the show?

[Louis McCartney]

Well, yes and no. So we are. We're a prequel, and it's an original story, taking back the idea that Henry Creel, played by Jamie Campbellbar in the TV show, he is an enigmatic sociopath psychopath who likes to kill. And he's very defined by his actions. And you want to be him. You want him to charm you. You know, you don't. He's very confusing, Char. And then here we're giving a bit of paint to that. You're saying, why? Why is he like that? And it's Henry Creel as a good kid. And basically, you don't need to see it. One, because it's a prequel, but also because we follow a narrative structure that is very easy to understand, and it's very human, and it's very Greek. You know, you'll have a Hamlet archetype with the protagonist, Henry Creel. You have the love interest, you have the mother. You have Dr. Brenner, who's this terrible, lovely antagonist played by Alex. Bro. Everybody's doing a wonderful job, and it does unlock things for season five. I know you might think I'm lying when I say that, but I'm not. There is. There is lore in this.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I love that.

[Louis McCartney]

And it's just. It's a big, big lot of fun. And I think everybody should come see it, because it's a blast.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Did you know what you were auditioning for when you went to audition? Can you tell me? Talk. Talk through your audition process?

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah. No, I had no idea. So I got the email, and it was Untitled Netflix play, directed by Stephen Daldry.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Okay.

[Louis McCartney]

That was for a character called George. And we did one scene which was Henry kind of losing it a little, and then one scene where he was talking with Patty. So it's basically the good and the bad, and it's the dichotomy of his character. They were saying, can you play cute? And then can you play evil? And I did that. I didn't hear anything for six months. I got recalled for a different character. Something happened. I then. I got recalled for Henry and then recalled for Henry and so on and so on and so on. I did about three months of, like, workshop auditions, not knowing. Biting my teeth, you know, just, like, I had no idea what was going on. And then I think we pushed them and we were like, hey, like, what's going on? Because this has taken a while. And they said, like this. And then we got it. And then from there it was just a blur, man. We were working in this place called Three Mills in London.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Okay.

[Louis McCartney]

It's where they do a lot of workshops for plays. And it's these bunker style of buildings with a huge stage, like 50ft, ceilings, like, incredibly tall. And it's just an unforgiving space as well because it's so harsh with the lighting. And you got to work and it gets really hot in there and. And I think it was good because we were creating a play in a place that didn't want us to create a play. And we were going, no, we want to create this story here.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's amazing.

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah. I think that gave it a lot of grit. I don't know.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah, well, if you get through that, you know, you get through that, you can get through New York City. Yeah. Nothing is fine. When you did the audition, I mean, when you do an audition like that, did you know that you wanted to always do theater? That was always the goal. What did you come into all this with?

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah, I've been blessed to get to know theatre. I didn't know what theater was before auditioning for Stranger Things. I'm trained in film and tv. I went to a university primarily for screen acting, and that was what I thought was my life was going to be. I thought that was my career. And it's what I made my choice on. And I gambled all my chips on it. And then this came along, and it was sort of like theater. What's up? You know, what do I do there? What's different? What do I got to do with my energy? You know, because you do screen act, and it's all kind of up here. It's the only place the audience is looking. But then working with Stephen Dalgy and Justin Martin, I learned, you know, if a character walks downstage, it means they're thinking, you know, stuff that you can't portray on screen, you do with your face. You can't do minuscule, but also, you can't be fake. You can't be like, hey, I'm thinking, you gotta be like, this is me thinking, it's a half wager of going, I know you guys are there watching me, and I'm acting, and. And I want you to know what's happening in the story, or else no one's gonna have a good night. But then also, I need to have my own experience, and you need to respect that. And then we can all get let in. And it's learning and understanding what happens when the night starts and the train goes and you can't stop it. I think that's a funny thought.

[Tamsen Fadal]

It is a funny thought. I've never thought of it like that. I've never thought of the difference between the two things.

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah, it's been great. I think it's really helped me grow up, understand myself more, understand my craft more. I've seen a plethora of different actors now that have different lifestyles and different ways to approach work and, you know, different things to teach me. And they've all helped me the whole time. You know, like, one person I can attribute kind of all of this to is Christopher Buckley, who's the original Bob Newby in London. And when we were doing the workshops and he was so charming and so magnetic and he got theater and he got what it meant to perform live right in front of you. And I just tried to like, I was like, how do you do that?

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah.

[Louis McCartney]

And he was just. And he was like, yeah, I don't know, I just do this and I just do that. And it kind of works.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Wow. What is it like every night? I mean, the energy that you put out there every night is immense. Right. Can you talk a little bit about that process and your voice and how you. How you keep your voice to where you're able to have a conversation with me right now?

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah. The main thing is time. So I tell anybody plays Henry, which is a horrible reason because it's like, well, dude, I can't make time happen, you know, so, yeah, it's. It is a lot of physical activity, but I love it. I've got like. I did a bit of gymnastics when I was younger. I did like dancing and I'm like double jointed in some places. So I'm lucky that my body has kind of been knowing how to move like this. But in London, it took like six months before I could properly do it. We had the blueprints for it. We knew what we wanted. We had this like, idea that he was a young kid and then boom, monster. And once we got that, it became very two tone and we started to develop a language in the movement so the audience could understand what was actually happening and how that would feel. Not just like, oh, he's possessed, or he's going through a lot right now. And yeah, and then the voice was another thing I was worried about, which took a lot of time.

[T.R. Knight]

And.

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah, the voice was another thing that I was worried about. And it took a lot of time because we had to develop this childlike innocence in the American accent. And then Vecna and we have the program that adds bass and, like, you know, violence to the voice, like the gravelly thing that makes it seem like that. But if you speak normally, you sound like a robot. So we do things where you talk like this and you drop your voice, and then I also do, like, a gravelly thing, but that just, like, happens on stage. I can't do it now. It would be too loud.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I understand. You know, Would it be too loud?

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Now you've made me curious.

[Louis McCartney]

I'm shouting in a healthy way.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Okay.

[Louis McCartney]

You know, that was another thing was doing it healthily.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Well, that was my question. Like, how do you do it? So you can maintain that every performance, every week, every month. How do you do it in a healthy way? Did you work with somebody to do that?

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah, we worked with, like, William Conacher and Liz Hayes. William Conacher was the dialect coach in London, and then Liz Hayes is the one we work with in America, in New York. And they're both great. And they both were, you know, like I said, different experience. They chip away at it and they make it better. And Liz really helped me in defining my American accent because coming here, I had a lot of stuff from London that was, like, left over, that it was inconsistent and my Irish would come through and I had no idea. She was like, that's wrong. And I was like, what? I did that for a year and a half and nobody told me. And she was like, yeah, man, I'm going to do it like this. And, yeah, I mean, I don't know. It's like, you just got to be ready to, like, be smart and give it your all, because you can't hurt yourself over this. It's just a job. But you also need to be prepared to, you know, say, like, this is the, like, last night's performance. I'll never get that back. I can't remember what happened, but, like, never get that back. And I don't want to be feeling the effects of it today. So it's just. I don't know. It literally just happens, you know, it's weird.

[Tamsen Fadal]

How does your family feel about everything? Have they been here to see you and excited?

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah, they've come to England, not New York yet. They're both very busy, but, yeah, they loved it. The main thing my dad said what he was pride of was that I take. He said, I'D like, taken the voice and, like, made it a part of the character, which is another thing I learned that I wasn't just, like, doing an accent. I wasn't just like, I'm an American and I'm doing an accent. You know, it's like, is that how we sound? No, but that's like. That's like. It's a gimmicky acting.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah.

[Louis McCartney]

You know, it's like. You can tell that's not my accent.

[Tamsen Fadal]

It's a character of a. Yeah, it's.

[Louis McCartney]

Like, oh, he's putting on an accent, and then the illusion's gone, and you guys are just. Why, every time I step on stage, it's like, oh, here's the actor now. What's he going to say? His lines, you know, it's not a real person going through something.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's great.

[Louis McCartney]

So that's what we developed on. And he was like, I noticed that. And I was like, really? I was like, I didn't even think about it before.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's fascinating. But that gives the emotional connection. That's why people are. They get entrenched into the story instead of distracted.

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Right.

[Louis McCartney]

Real kid. Real problems, you know?

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah. That's amazing. Really amazing. Okay. You were in a category for the Tonys this year. Congratulations on the nomination with George Clooney.

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah, I know. Crazy.

[Tamsen Fadal]

How do you wrap your head around that?

[Louis McCartney]

It's wild. You know, I met him once, and he was a really nice guy, and he was, like, such a dad, which was lovely. And he seemed very proud as well. Like, he. I shook his hand and he did the thing where you, like, double clasp, and he was like, well done. And I was like, oh, thank you. You know, and then I walked away. I was like, oh, my God, George Clooney. You know, I was literally watching, like, Ocean 13, Ocean's 11, like, all last night because I was just thinking about it. I was like, I can meet him tomorrow. But, yeah, it's really cool. It's such an opportunity, like, to be, you know, blessed in this way where people just give you this massive seal of approval and say, like, hey, good job. And I didn't even think about it. I remember the morning I woke up. I woke up to watch the Tonys. Had a mimosa with, like, my girlfriend and a friend of mine. We were all sitting there. We were just watching for the play, and my agent called me, and he was like, do you know? He was like, why? He's like, tony Nobody. And we were like, what the. And we searched up and it was on like, Twitter early. I think they got like some news outlets get it early or something.

[T.R. Knight]

And.

[Louis McCartney]

And that was crazy. That was a crazy day.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's unbelievable. I like that you had to Google yourself to see that you were a Tony nominee.

[Louis McCartney]

I know.

[Tamsen Fadal]

How did you decide what you were gonna wear to the Tonys? Was that more pressure?

[Louis McCartney]

No, actually. Well, I trust my partner for a lot of my inspo and she loves Pinterest and stuff, so we do lots of looking on there. And I was working with this fabulous stylist, Brody, who first time working with him and I think I'll be working with him for a long time because he's nailed it. And yeah, we just wanted something like smart and young and just like, you know, not like a suit. I don't really look good. And like, I'm short. I don't look good in like a normal suit. I need something that has a little bit of tailoring to it, but cropped maybe.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I love that. Yeah, I love that. What is. What is next for you? What do you. I know, I know. You've got a year and a half here, so we're assuming we're going to see a lot more of you in New York. You want to stay with theater? Do you want to?

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah, I'd love to do theater. I'd love to, with singing lessons and a bit of age, play the MC in Cabaret. I briefly touched Hamlet when there was a Hamlet film being made. And I love the idea of playing Hamlet. That's like theater for film and tv. I would love them to make an Aragon series, which is a fantasy book series created by Christopher Polini. They made a film about it in the 2000s which bombed. And I'd love them to remake it into a beautiful TV series like the Witch or Game of Thrones or something that has a gritty kind of undertone to it, but also the Magic World, because I love it and I just, you know, it's kind of what I want to do.

[Tamsen Fadal]

What are the fans like when they see you after you've done that for two hours on stage?

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah, they're super cool. This is a three hour play.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Three hours. Okay. What happens after they see you three hours on stage?

[Louis McCartney]

They are all emotionally spent in the best way. And they. They're just a bit in shock. Like, honestly, you get some people dressing up in cosplay, which is really cool. I took a photo of some of a family because I was like, I think it's so great. It was his mum is Joyce the dad is Hopper. And the girl is 11.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Aww, that's awesome.

[Louis McCartney]

Like, really good cosplay. Like proper, like, outfits. And they took a photo. I was like, guys, can I take a photo of you and take a selfie with them?

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's great.

[Louis McCartney]

I thought it was super cool. They're all lovely and they're all. You get super f theater. You have people who are new to theater. I mean, there's a statistic that, like, I think 65% of our audiences are first time theater goers. You know, we're bringing in a new wave of people because we're incorporating stranger things in theater. But a lot of the time it's the fans and that's what we're serving and the lore. And then we shock them with this story and then they tell other people because that's the duality of what we're doing is it's a story, but also grounded in the mythology of Stranger Things.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I love the fact that that's such a new audience because that is such an important integration right now is to bring that in and to bring all people into theater. So it's not just, this is the Broadway or this is the theater community. And these are everybody else who likes to watch, you know, TV or film.

[Unknown]

Yeah, yeah, it's wonderful.

[Tamsen Fadal]

What do you do when you're not on stage?

[Louis McCartney]

When I'm not on stage, I like to. Oh, I've been listening to this true crime podcast called Serial Spelled.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, yeah.

[Louis McCartney]

S E R I E L. You know it. You know the first season with Anan Saeed.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah.

[Louis McCartney]

Yes.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yes.

[Louis McCartney]

That's what I just listened to.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, wow.

[Louis McCartney]

Crazy. It was so good.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's great.

[Louis McCartney]

And like, I do long distance with my partner and we're both listening to it and we were like, oh my.

[T.R. Knight]

God, did you see that episode?

[Louis McCartney]

So I've been listening to that recently. I love Watercolor. Also like a huge nerd for like lore and video games and stuff because I just played a lot of that when I was growing up and. Yeah, just a couple of things. Not much, but, you know, sounds like a lot.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Sounds like a lot. Three hours, eight times a week. I'm trying to add all the hours. Thank you so much. You're such a pleasure.

[Louis McCartney]

Thank you. Thanks for having me.

[Unknown]

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[Tamsen Fadal]

Now here's my conversation with another star of stranger things, the first shadow, T.R. knight. Ah. Well, how are you doing?

[T.R. Knight]

Good, how are you?

[Tamsen Fadal]

I'm doing good. Are you excited to be back?

[T.R. Knight]

Yes. Yeah. It's been too long. It's been too long.

[Tamsen Fadal]

So let's talk, let's talk about this because this show is, I heard, technologically spectacular. Can you talk a little bit about it?

[T.R. Knight]

Yes, I can. What would you like to know?

[Tamsen Fadal]

What can you tell us? What can you say?

[T.R. Knight]

Like, what can I say? So the television show, it introduces us to 11, right?

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yes.

[T.R. Knight]

And so this, the play introduces us to number one. So it is. It takes place in 1959. So everyone you know as an adult, pretty much everyone you know as an adult in the television show is a high school student in this because the villain from season four is number one and he is in high school as well. So it is, it's this amazing combination of. I've never worked on anything like this at all. Never the scope, never in the genre before in theater. So there's this kind of massive machinery to it. But then it also exists as this kind of quiet tragedy of a play as well, in addition to all the monsters and special effects. And, and the special effects are just enormous. Enormous. And so much so that I didn't really understand them until I just had to physically, physically see them. Yeah. Is that the thing?

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah. Like same in person.

[T.R. Knight]

Same in person. Yeah. Until. And I just really did not. Then it clicked. Stephen, our director and Justin, our co director would explain and I would just pretend make those noises. But until I saw it, because it is so. But then some of the special effects are so simple and so, you know, involve a string and a piece of cloth. And so it has both of that, you know, highly technical, cutting edge kind of element to it and then some old timey magic as well. And Stephen Daldry, I have wanted to work with, I think, I don't know, over 20 years. So to get a chance to work with him is something that, I don't know, I just, you know, you get to certain points in your life or ages, I guess, and you think, well, next life. But, but it's this one. But it's this one. So I'm very lucky to be learning from him. He's amazing. Justin Martin, our co director, is amazing. So it's, it's. And this cast, it's like 34 people, 34 of us. It's a lot.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's a lot.

[T.R. Knight]

And. And a lot of them are making their Broadway debuts. Most of them are.

[Tamsen Fadal]

So is that exciting to be a part of?

[T.R. Knight]

Oh, yeah. To witness.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah, I'm sure it's.

[T.R. Knight]

It's really.

[Tamsen Fadal]

It's thrilling when you. When you look at a play like this, especially because there's such a following to Stranger Things when you talk about, like, the different parts of it. There. There's the emot of it, then there's the monsters part of it, and then there's the, you know, just the mystery part of it overall, so. And it's exciting to now go into a theater and have this backstory that, you know, we're. We're not. Not really familiar with at all.

[T.R. Knight]

Right. But. And I think. And I think they've done a really remarkable job at, like, friends of mine who've seen it, who don't. Who aren't familiar with the show, you know, because that. I'm familiar with the show. So I'm sorry, I'm hitting this. I'm familiar with the show. So it's. You know, there's certain. That you just understand.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Sure.

[T.R. Knight]

But it's been interesting to hear from them how they've enjoyed it, not having. Not knowing it at all and leaving it and saying, I'm gonna get to start looking and start watching it. And so that's exciting.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's great. That's great. The show. You know, I just remember just starting out watching it. Well, I love it because obviously it's a generation of all the 80s, and you're looking at them all, and I mean, they do such a. Yeah. Fabulous job. But this is how many years earlier than in the fifth?

[T.R. Knight]

This is 1959.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, wow. Because. Because they're all so much younger.

[Louis McCartney]

Yeah.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's really exciting. So when you got the fir. The call that you were gonna take, take on this role, thoughts about it, had you already been a fan of the show? Did you go into it kind of knowing.

[T.R. Knight]

Definitely liked the show a lot and definitely did the binging. Did the binging. But what's interesting about this role is that there are two actors who share it, and there's an older version and a younger version, because, you see, they visit him in jail after he's done that.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah.

[T.R. Knight]

So this is.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Those who know. No.

[T.R. Knight]

Yes. So this is the younger version of the role that is flashed to. But yeah, it's. It's what's fascinating about it.

[Louis McCartney]

It's.

[T.R. Knight]

I don't know, it's like, I guess kind of what I said before, that idea that in this massive. In this massive piece, there are so many little stories going on and. And his is very encapsulated, but it's. It's just full on tragedy, you know, that's. And that element of the horror aspect of it. So it's. Yeah, it's a ride. It's like one of those roles where it's just like the. The tap. The tap root has to go really deep.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Right.

[T.R. Knight]

You know.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Right.

[T.R. Knight]

In order to feel like you're not and like you're.

[Louis McCartney]

I don't know.

[T.R. Knight]

To understand him because he's just got.

[Tamsen Fadal]

This.

[T.R. Knight]

He's a very damaged individual complexities. He's just. And he's not. He doesn't. You know, it's a. Before a time when, you know, there would be some help for him.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Right.

[T.R. Knight]

So. And, you know, and the whole understanding of it's supporting Henry's journey. Henry is number one.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yes.

[T.R. Knight]

And so. Yeah. And how his damage effects carries on to the next generation and, you know, doesn't set him up for success either.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Is it. Is it hard to go that deep as things are going on with so much technology around you and the monster, you know, because there's so many different elements that. If you're talking about tragedy and monsters.

[T.R. Knight]

Yeah, I think it's. But that's like part of the job, I think, to kind of just try to shut it out as best as you can. Yeah. To try to. Yeah. You find your corners. You find your corners where you're not. I'm still finding them because we're still in tech, so there are still moments. Swear there was this. What happened? Like two nights ago, we were in previews and I was in the wrong place. Everywhere I stood and I was like. I really. And I was just like, you know, you want to get your right little moments. You try to focus and. And just everywhere. Everywhere. I was like, the only. Only way I'm not in the way is to levitate and I just. I need to work on that. I need to work on that.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Well, there are special effects, so I know you still have time.

[T.R. Knight]

We'll work on it.

[Tamsen Fadal]

You still have time.

[T.R. Knight]

We'll work on it. So. Yeah.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Is it exciting to be part of another TV phenomenon like this? I mean, this is really, you know, this is a Yet. Yet another.

[T.R. Knight]

It feels. But it feels so different because of. Because of the story. You know what I mean? Because the story we're telling and it feels as Full of special effects as it is, is still. There's still that understanding. That's still that comfort for me of. Of theater, and that's. I've missed that so much, and I'm so grateful for it. Just on a perfectly selfish level. Yeah, I love it, and I just. I've missed it so much that. Yeah, it's just. There's a lot of gratitude surrounding it for me.

[Tamsen Fadal]

What makes you miss theater so much? Do you just feel it once you get back there, or do you just feel it all along when you're doing TV or you're in other mediums?

[T.R. Knight]

I think I just haven't. Because I grew up with it. I just understand it more. I mean, it's still very challenging, and I still am, you know. Yeah. There's no resting on any sort of understanding, I guess, for me, I just. It feels like home, if that makes sense. And so with all the complexities of home, but the community, I think, building something together, I. Although I'm fascinated by a filmed performance, and that will always fascinate me, I. I think that the idea of. There's so little time to build it together because you're just shooting it, you know, there's so little. In my experience, I know a lot of. There are rehearsals in. In that world, but I have not experienced so many of those. And so getting to build something together in a rehearsal process and where ideas come from everywhere, where everyone feels like it's a shared thing, it's just such a. The best experiences should be where everyone has a voice. Right. And everyone brings their kind of best self to the table. And when you work with people like Steven and Justin, it's just where you feel like your voices are heard, and it's. It's. I don't know. There's something about that. The isolation that sometimes happens with film and television is still hard for me to understand. And my most joyous times in. In. In a film performance has been like prosthetics, where I. I'm sitting in the chair for hours at a time and watching the makeup artists create this and the special effects artists create this. And there have been a few projects where I've been able to do that. And that's the most exciting time to me because I get to watch and, like, I'm not a part of it.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Because I'm just coming on life, though.

[T.R. Knight]

I'm just the meat puppet. But, yeah, but. Yeah, but you get to see their. Their art. You get to see them create.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Right, Right.

[T.R. Knight]

And a lot of times you have to, you know, you do your bit and then you leave. Do your bit and leave. And so to watch everything and be a part of that, I think that's something that just in my psyche, I always want and chase.

[Tamsen Fadal]

So, yeah, I'm excited to see 34 people too, in a play that feels like when you said that, I was like, what?

[T.R. Knight]

It's a lot.

[Tamsen Fadal]

It is a lot, right? It's a lot of energy and a lot of excitement.

[T.R. Knight]

Yeah. A lot of good energy. A lot of good energy. And that's something that Sonya, from the start, she's impressive in so many, so many ways. But the way she. I mean, it's so many of. Like I said, so many are making their Broadway debut, but some are not finishing their graduate acting programs to do that, to do this one just celebrated his 18th birthday. So it's. But the way she kind of crowd us together and she gave this just this amazing speech that I wish I had filmed, but I kind of am glad I didn't because it just lives in my head then and I get to. You know what I mean? It's the way she corralled us all and like lifted us up, but then also just broke it down for everybody about how we need to support each other during this. This year long endeavor. Over a year long endeavor. And it was. Yeah, it was just really beautiful. And that continues obviously with, you know, with Steven and Justin as well.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I love that. I'm so excited for you. I'm excited to see it. Thank you. That's gonna do it. For this latest episode of the Broadway show Uncut. But for tickets to stranger things, a first shadow, head over to broadway.com and until next time, I'm Tamsen Fadal.