The Hunger Games has journeyed from book series to blockbuster film, and now to the stage—adapted by Conor McPherson and housed in a brand-new, purpose-built venue: the Troubadour Theatre in Canary Wharf. But does it live up to the hype?
The Hunger Games on Stage follows Katniss Everdeen (Mia Carragher) as she volunteers as tribute for her home District, District 12, in place of her sister to take part in the annual 74th Hunger Games. A game in which two tributes are picked from each of the 12 districts, and pitted against each other in an arena, in a thrilling battle for survival, viewed by people all over the world. There can only be one survivor.
The second tribute for District 12 is Peeta Mellark (Euan Garrett). Together, Katniss and Peeta are trained to survive the ordeal by Haymitch Abernathy (Joshua Lacey), who survived the games himself in previous years.
The Hunger Games on Stage is a fast-paced, action-packed production pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on stage. The seats surround the stage like a coliseum, and they move to expand and restrict the stage as the play progresses. Trap doors and platforms alter the look of the stage, with the cast sometimes becoming the set to make it a 360-degree spectacle. Every part of the theatre is used, from the stairwells to the fight sequences on the walls.
In the first part of the show, the characters are introduced, and we get to visit The Capitol, where there are incredible costumes, a great musical number, and dance scenes; it is the most outrageous fun area to watch. There is also the training arena, where the other contestants are introduced and their skills are shown off to the audience with incredible stunts performed. It sets up to the game, which is the second part of the show after the interval.
The second half, however, feels rushed and disjointed. A continuous high-pitched screech aims to disorient the audience but quickly becomes jarring and uncomfortable. Scenes blur together: actors run and attack, then suddenly break into interpretive dance before dying, making it hard to follow the sequence of events. Most deaths happen off-stage, marked only by a brief blood splatter, with little explanation of who died or how. The set becomes sparse, with Katniss climbing a metal frame meant to represent the jungle. The finale feels anticlimactic, ending with a cliché that doesn’t match the intensity of the earlier scenes.
The cast is incredible in the production, from all of the fighters whose stunts make them fun to watch. To the Capitol people who were over the top and ridiculous, playing their characters perfectly. All except that is for President Snow (John Malkovich), who only appears on screen at different parts of the play and appears to be reading directly from a script. The acting is flat and unenjoyable, giving Katniss (Carragher) and Caesar Flickerman (Stavros Demetraki) a lot of work to do to make it believable, which they both do fantastically.
The standout performances come from Mia Carragher, who does a brilliant job as Katniss. She narrates her own thoughts whilst still being part of the scene with fluidity and grace, managing to do difficult stunts and maintain composure throughout. Also, Haymitch (Lacey) controlled the stage whenever he was part of a scene and brought out the qualities of the character perfectly.
Overall, Hunger Games is an enjoyable, action-packed production with lots of stunts and special effects. It is a play that stays true to the story in the books and puts it on a stage to immerse yourself in, in a new way. It feels rushed at points, but it is a spectacle to see live.
It runs until October 18th 2026.
Review: James W. Photos: Johan Persson