Stranger Things’ Dr Brenner on why the West End show is such a hit

If groups haven’t seen the show, what can they expect?

I think they can expect just about everything, and I know they’ll be totally unprepared for what they’re going to walk in to. It’s a complete sensory experience that accompanies this really gripping original story that takes you places you didn’t know it would. It’s a really thrilling roller coaster that is enacted on this massive canvas and complements the Stranger Things TV series so well.

The special effects are really well done, what is it like to work on a production which uses so many?

It’s really exciting because there is so much that we’re doing in this performance that is at the forefront of theatre advancement and stagecraft. However, at the same time, these effects are largely created by old school theatre magic. They’re designed so beautifully for a massive scale and a reaction from the audience, but at their core they’re simple and effective. It’s great to be a part of the show and tell this story.

Do you feel you have big shoes to fill by playing the role of Dr. Brenner?

Absolutely! My goal is to always work in concert with what Matthew Modine (who played the role on screen) created. I’m a huge fan of his, not just from the series, but from his other film work too. He’s an extraordinary actor who has a glorious charm, incredible depth and a little bit of darkness within him. I really wanted to use what he had done as the scaffolding for the part then work from there and build my own version of him to find whoever he ends up being. There is a significant back story to the character so it has been really fun to play him and hopefully not spoil him.

“It’s a really thrilling roller coaster that is enacted on this massive canvas and complements the Stranger Things TV series so well.”

The show is breaking box office records at the Phoenix Theatre and has been extended again, why do you think that is?

I think it’s a combination of the fact that the Netflix show is so popular, but our theatre show is so thrilling. This could have been a bit of a theme park performance and an act of cynicism, but what I discovered from day one of working on it was that this was done with creativity, collaboration and love, which is why it has transpired into a work of art that is loved on its own by many. Whether you love the television series or not, it’s just great theatre and follows the story of a young boy and his descent into the Stranger Things universe.

Where did that love of theatre come from?

I grew up in New York City and I was lucky that my parents took my sister and I to the ballet, theatre, concerts and museums whenever they could and it was very much a way of thinking in my family that art was important and the hallmark of a civilised society. When you have the option of pursuing something in the arts as a child it was very freeing and I think I always felt that I had something to express through art in some way which ended up being acting. I was a very shy adolescent and it brought me out of my shell completely. 

Finally, you originated the role of Jud Fry in Oklahoma! on Broadway before bringing it to London, that must have been amazing? 

It was so exciting and went above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined. It started as a college production at a small arts college in the north east, then when they made a professional production of it, I emailed the director to ask if I could be considered which shot my way to the part. It was incredibly meaningful to get to live with the part for as long as I did, and over the years it would go dormant and I’d move on to other things, then it would come back around and I’d get to do it all over again. It’s not lost on me how lucky I was, and still am, to have had that experience both back home and in London.