A visit from Vecna is a waking nightmare in Hawkins, but it’s a dream come true on Broadway.

“Stranger Things” actor Jamie Campbell Bower surprised fans at Friday’s performance of “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” by reprising his role of Henry Creel in the play’s final scene.

“I’m honored to have been asked to do it,” Campbell Bower told Netflix. “I’ve been so fortunate to see ‘First Shadow’ twice, both in London and when it opened here. It’s both a very bizarre and also beautiful experience to see it, so to wrap up my journey with ‘Stranger Things’ by doing this, it’s really cool.”

Campbell Bower joined the cast, including his stage counterpart Louis McCartney who plays the younger Henry Creel, at the stage door to greet fans after the performance.

“I love Louis. I remember seeing that first preview in London and just being so blown away by what he was doing. And I love Henry so to see someone like Louis who has also taken great care of this character feels so lovely,” said Campbell Bower. “He’s definitely taken certain things that I did with Henry and brought them into his portrayal and also created something that is uniquely his own, which is beautiful.”

Based on an original story by “Stranger Things” creators the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), and Kate Trefry (“Stranger Things”), “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” tells Vecna’s origin story and features younger versions of some of the series’ fan-favorite characters.

In 1959 Hawkins, Indiana, the Creel family seeks a fresh start, especially their teenage son Henry, who is eager to escape his troubled past. Initially, things go well — he finds friendship and joins the school play.

But when a wave of shocking crimes strikes the town, Henry is forced to confront a terrifying truth: is there something inside him that connects him to the horrors unfolding around him?

As this thrilling mystery races forward, shadows of the past are unleashed, relationships are tested, and the town of Hawkins faces the ultimate question: can the power of friendship outshine the darkness within?

“Stranger Things: The First Shadow” opened on London’s West End in 2023 before beginning its Broadway run in April of this year. It went on to win four Tony Awards: Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design, and a special award for the Illusions & Technical Effects.

Following the premiere of “Stranger Things” Season 5, ticket sales for both the Broadway and West End productions have reached the highest levels since their initial launches. Tickets are on sale now.

If you missed Campbell Bower’s unexpected Broadway turn, you’ll soon be able to see him in a different kind of theater-going experience when the “Stranger Thing” series finale hits the big screen on December 31.

Jamie Campbell Bower, Louis McCartney, & The Duffer Brothers. Photo by Evan Zimmerman