The Hunger Games ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Citizens of Panem. Prepare for an epic spectacle. The stage is set for the premiere of The Hunger Games: On Stage, arriving in London in a purpose-built, state-of-the-art venue: Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre. Follow the journey of fearless heroine Katniss Everdeen as she defies the odds in this gripping tale of courage, hope and unbreakable human spirit.

Turning The Hunger Games into a live theatrical experience was always going to be an ambitious challenge. How exactly do you take one of the most cinematic dystopian franchises ever created and make audiences feel the scale, danger and emotional devastation inside a theatre? Surprisingly, at least visually, this production gets very close. Emotionally? That is where the cracks begin to show.

Matthew Dunster's direction is genuinely impressive, particularly given the complexities of the in-the-round staging. No matter where you are sitting, you can see the action clearly, which is no small achievement in a space this ambitious. The way the stage transforms between multiple configurations works brilliantly, keeping the production visually dynamic throughout. At times, so much is happening across the space that it becomes impossible to take it all in at once. Somewhere in the arena, another detail or moment is always unfolding, making the world feel alive and in constant motion.

Choreography by Charlotte Broom is more of a mixed bag. During the District 12 scenes, especially, there are several moments when ensemble members wander around in a vaguely choreographed fashion. It feels odd tonally and adds nothing to the storytelling. The production occasionally mistakes movement for atmosphere. However, the wolf sequence towards the end is genuinely excellent and stands out as the show's strongest piece of choreography. Though honestly, I suspect fight director Kev McCurdy probably had a large hand in shaping that sequence too. Overall, the choreography does not fit naturally into the production.

Lighting by Lucy Carter is absolutely stunning. The attention to detail throughout is phenomenal, particularly the decision to illuminate sections of the audience in the district corresponding to whichever tribute has just died. It is a clever immersive touch that constantly reminds you that you are part of the Games themselves. I genuinely gave up trying to count how many lights were hidden in the rig because there seemed to be loads of them. It is an incredibly cohesive design. The only thing I still cannot fully work out is why the light bars occasionally lower themselves directly towards the audience, either to illuminate the floor or temporarily blind everyone in sight.

Sound design by Ian Dickinson for Autograph is sensational. The production is loud when it needs to be, but never painfully overwhelming. The cannon shots, in particular, are brilliantly executed, landing more as a deep physical thud rather than an explosive bang. The surround sound throughout the production is incredibly immersive, constantly pulling you deeper into Panem. This is one of the strongest sound designs currently in London theatre.

Tal Rosner's video design works well overall. Much of the screen content is reserved for President Snow and Capitol broadcasts. However, some of the environmental designs throughout the production are genuinely excellent and help effectively build the scale of the world. The level of interaction between the performers and the screens was also something I genuinely did not expect, and it creates several visually striking moments throughout the evening.

Costume design by Moi Tran brilliantly captures both the gritty realism of the districts and the extravagance of the Capitol. The arena costumes in particular feel very faithful to both the books and films, while the Capitol citizens and Caesar Flickerman are allowed to become far more theatrical and extravagant. Some of the costumes featuring internal flame lighting effects are genuinely gorgeous and create some of the production’s best visual moments.

Wigs, hair and makeup are equally impressive, especially for the Capitol characters. Caesar Flickerman’s overly flamboyant hairstyle, in the absolute best possible way, perfectly captures the absurdity and excess of the Capitol world. The entire aesthetic balance between dystopian realism and theatrical spectacle is handled very well here.

Music by James Maloney plays a wonderful role in underscoring the production. For much of the show, you barely even notice it consciously, yet it constantly keeps tension and momentum bubbling underneath the scenes. It quietly does a huge amount of heavy lifting emotionally and atmospherically.

The book by Conor McPherson is where the production’s biggest problems lie. The script is honestly nowhere near as disastrous as some people have suggested, and from what I can gather, it stays reasonably faithful to both the original novel and film adaptation at points. The pacing itself is actually very strong. The real issue is emotional investment and how the production seems to glaze over everything. The production desperately wants the audience to care deeply about these characters, but it never properly gives us enough time or space to connect with them emotionally. Scenes rush by at such speed that emotional moments barely have time to land before the show is already sprinting towards the next plot point. The result is a production constantly trying to create devastating emotional stakes without properly earning them first.

By the time the show finally begins investing in emotional depth, it is essentially over. There are too many story beats crammed into individual scenes, leaving no breathing room whatsoever. The production moves at the pace of someone speed-reading Wikipedia summaries while running on a treadmill.

Performance-wise, Mia Carragher delivers a strong portrayal of Katniss Everdeen, fully embodying the character's fierceness and protective love for Prim. She brings genuine intensity to the role and does everything possible with the material she is given. Stavros Demetraki as Caesar Flickerman is an absolute delight, delivering a wonderfully camp performance full of charm, energy and comic timing. Every time he appears, the production suddenly becomes significantly more entertaining. Meanwhile, Aiya Agustin as Rue delivers a beautifully sincere performance with the limited stage time she is given, bringing genuine warmth and emotional vulnerability to the role.

Ultimately, The Hunger Games: On Stage succeeds far more as a technical and visual spectacle than as an emotional piece of theatre. Visually, sonically and atmospherically, it is often breathtaking. The immersive staging, lighting, and sound design are genuinely world-class. However, the script’s relentless pace leaves very little room for emotional depth to develop, so the production never fully reaches the devastating heights it clearly aims for. Still, if you are a fan of the franchise or want to experience one of the most technically ambitious productions currently running in London, this is absolutely worth seeing. Even when the emotion misses, the spectacle rarely does.

The Hunger Games: On Stage is currently playing at Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre in London until October 2026.

Book tickets here: https://thehungergamesonstage.com/