The Hunger Games set Canary Wharf on Fire
“May the odds be ever in your favour”
Tagline
Last night marked the Gala opening of the Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre, featuring The Hunger Games: On Stage for aficionados. Based on Suzanne Collins’ novel, the story unfolds in a dystopian society grappling with the aftermath of nuclear war. Twelve regions contribute to the survival of this society, administered by the Capitol, headed by President Snow (a less than imperially convincing John Malkovich).
For those familiar with the books or film adaptations, the play follows the plot closely. What sets this production apart is the theatre itself, which becomes an integral part of the storytelling.
Each year, every region sends two participants to compete in the Hunger Games, a brutal contest where the last person standing wins, even if it means killing their partner. The Games are broadcast across the regions, a science-fiction evolution of “last person standing” entertainment for public gratification Does this sound familiar?
The story centres on Katniss Everdeen (Mia Carragher), a skilled hunter who excels with a bow and arrow, she heartwarmingly volunteers to take her younger sister Primrose (Sophia Ally)’s place in the Games. Joining her is Peeta Mellark (Euan Garrett), a boy who saved Katniss’s life in the past. District 12 is a mining area. Katniss’s father died in the mines. District 12 takes coal and fire as their defining characteristic to scenic effect.
The contestants are summoned to the Capitol, where they meet the odious Master of Ceremonies the bewigged Caesar Flickerman (Stavros Demetraki); a flamboyant makeup artist Effie Trinket (Tamsin Carroll) and a former winner of District 12 Games Haymitch Abernathy (Joshua Lacey) now an alcoholic trainer. The parade of contestants is spectacular; Ben Hur would be impressed, and the wealthy are invited to sponsor individual contestants.
Telling the story is where the theatre comes into its own, a large in the round, auditorium for 1200+, the audience are sitting in sharply raked tiers so there are no difficulties with sight lines. With such a large space it becomes somewhat difficult to empathise with the characters, but this is compensated by the tricks the designers have created.
Miriam Buether’s set is ambitious. Large numbers of trap doors emerge from the playing area; a stage within a stage appears and rises in the middle; lighting riggs are lowered down from the ceiling and the use of fire is spectacular. An example of this is an occupied chariot suspended above the floor, moving the length of the stage and occasionally spurting out jets of flame. The chariot riders have jackets with windows of fire in them. I could feel the heat from row K. They must have had fun with the Health and Safety Officers over that.
To change the shape of the auditorium, when needed, whole banks of occupied seats move to the side to create a traverse stage and back again for the screen projection.
The youthful cast portray the tributes well with their difficult mission but there isn’t time for details for most. An exception, Rue (Aiya Agustin) an 11 year old tribute from District 11 is delightful and Katniss saves her from the nest of tracker jacker wasps who excitingly light up the stage with furious lit wings and stings.
Mia Carragher as Katniss has a huge part and we need to care about what happens to her. Her initial bravery in volunteering to save Prim wins us all as well as her skill with the bow and arrow with perfect precision.
Most of the second act are battles and thrilling duels, these set piece combats are by fight director Kevin McCurdy. Moi Tran’s extravagant costumes for the Capitolists are a sight for sore eyes and credit needs to go to the audience members for loads of glitter, sequins and artistic ideas with feathers. The Hunger Games : On Stage is first and foremost a treat, an occasion for those who have enjoyed the cult films and books, whose knowledge will flesh out the production.
Based on young adult novels, my feeling is that younger children might find the production frightening. Incidentally the bad publicity in previews about the theatre mishaps is not relevant as everything has been sorted and works well. There are still two more books in the series for this purpose built auditorium
The theatre itself is worth a visit on its own just to experience its special idiosyncracies. Against that, the distancing of the audience from the players is a disappointment, but overall, this is an ambitious experience worth serious consideration for all and an absolute must see for Hunger Games aficionados.
Malcolm Beckett has been reviewing theatre since 2017
Production Notes
The Hunger Games: On Stage
Adapted by Conor McPherson
From the book by Suzanne Collins
Directed by Matthew Dunster
Cast
Starring:
Matthew Ives
Sophia Ally
Redmand Rance
Kyerron Dixon-Bassey
Felipe Pacheco
Mark Samaras
Nathan Ives-Moiba
Lewis Easter
Felix Garcia Guyer
Rory Toms
Ruth Everett
Artemis Stamouli
Stavros Demetraki
Mia Carragher
Marcellus Hill
Tamsin Carroll
Mariana Lewis
Tristan Waterson
Kiera Milward
Nathanael Saleh
Euan Garrett
Alexandra Barredo
Liana Cottrill
Imogen Brooke
Jessica Lee
John Malkovic
Joshua Lacey
Aiya Agustin
Geo Bailey
Creatives
Director: Matthew Dunster
Set Designer: Miriam Buether
Costume Designer: Moi Trans
Choreographer: Charlotte Broom
Lighting Designer: Lucy Carter
Fight Director: Kev McCurdy
Sound Director: Ian Dickinson for Autograph
Information
Running Time: Two hours 40 minutes
Booking to 11th November 2026
Theatre:
The Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre
Water Street
Canary Wharf
E14 5GX
Tube : Canary Wharf Wood Wharf Exit
Website: https://thehungergamesonstage.com
Reviewed by Malcolm Beckett
at the Canary Wharf Troubadour
on 12th November 2025
