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‘What if my writing is terrible?’: The six-week sprint to opening night
Stranger Things: The First Shadow announces final curtain in London and New York
The theatrical prequel to the Duffer Brothers’ smash-hit Netflix series is to shut down in the West End and on Broadway this winter, after selling more than 1.5m tickets
The London and New York productions of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, the theatrical prequel to Netflix’s TV blockbuster, are to both close this winter. The stage spectacular will have run for just over three years in the West End, where it won two Olivier awards, and for just over 20 months on Broadway, where it won four Tony awards. The final performance at the Phoenix theatre in London will be on 27 December and the last show at the Marquis theatre in New York will be on 3 January.
The announcement, made on Tuesday, comes as a surprise considering the TV series’ phenomenal continued success. The November launch of the fifth and final season broke viewing records for an English-language series on Netflix, with 59.6m views in the first five days, and even caused the streaming service to crash within minutes of the episodes first becoming available. In February, it was widely reported that the New York stage production was being filmed for future release, but Netflix has made no such official statement.
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© Photograph: Manuel Harlan

© Photograph: Manuel Harlan

© Photograph: Manuel Harlan
Tempest in the stalls as baby disrupts Kenneth Branagh RSC performance
Audience members said baby’s cooing and gurgling ruined Branagh’s return to the RSC after 30 years, with some seeking refunds
Boatswain! The opening scene of Shakespeare’s seminal play The Tempest, in which Prospero conjures up a violent storm to shipwreck his treacherous brother, is enough to wake up anyone – let alone a baby.
Audience members at a matinee performance of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production, starring Kenneth Branagh as Prospero, complained after a baby gurgled and cooed its way throughout the entire first half.
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© Photograph: Tim Gainey/Alamy

© Photograph: Tim Gainey/Alamy

© Photograph: Tim Gainey/Alamy
Tony awards 2026: Death of a Salesman triumphs, as Lesley Manville and John Lithgow also win
Joe Mantello’s stark revival of Arthur Miller’s classic drama takes home six awards, while Ragtime and Schmigadoon! pick up musical wins
A stripped-back take on Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman dominated this year’s Tonys, winning six awards, while Lesley Manville and John Lithgow took home lead acting trophies.
Death of a Salesman was named best revival of a play, with the award-winning director Joe Mantello praising Miller’s story as one that “still talks to us through time”. Star Nathan Lane accepted the award on behalf of the cast, and called it a play that “continues to teach us who we are as humans and Americans”.
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© Photograph: Brendan McDermid/Reuters

© Photograph: Brendan McDermid/Reuters

© Photograph: Brendan McDermid/Reuters
Tony awards 2026: full list of winners
This year’s Tony awards saw wins for John Lithgow, Laurie Metcalf, Joshua Henry and Lesley Manville
Tony awards 2026: Death of a Salesman triumphs, as Lesley Manville and John Lithgow also win
Tony awards 2026: red carpet looks and the best of the show – in pictures
The Lost Boys
Schmigadoon! – WINNER!
Titaníque
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

© Photograph: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

© Photograph: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

© Photograph: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions