The Hunger Games on Stage, All the Action, Little of the Drama

Hunger Games on Stage | Troubadour Canary Wharf, booking to 25th October 2026

May the Odds Be Ever in Its Favour? Athletically impressive, dramatically disappointing. More theme park than theatre

The Hunger Games originated as a bestselling novel by Suzanne Collins in 2008, before being adapted into a film series in 2012. I believe, though I may be mistaken, that this was one of the first films to split its final book into two parts, purely for artistic reasons, of course.

We find ourselves in a purpose-built auditorium within a newly constructed theatre in the heart of Canary Wharf, which serves as the arena for The Hunger Games.

Unlike Stranger Things: The First Shadow (which tells a prequel story) and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (a sequel), this production recounts the narrative of the first film. For those unfamiliar with The Hunger Games, it is set in a dystopian future where 12 districts each send a male and female “tribute” to compete in a deadly contest that resembles a fight to the death. It shares similarities with gladiatorial combat and echoes the premise of The Running Man, which is also set in a dystopian world where individuals are hunted for entertainment.

The tributes are sent to the Games as a means of keeping the population under control, overseen by President Snow, who appears only on massive screens and is portrayed, in a notable casting coup, by John Malkovich. Although he is only seen on screen, I understand that the two lead actors prepared for their roles by performing scenes with him in his studio. Unfortunately, this effort does not translate into his performance; it felt reminiscent of the video equivalent of “phoning in” a performance.

There is a difference between underplaying, which I support, and doing nothing at all, and this performance was perilously close to the latter. It brought to mind my favourite review of Charlton Heston. During A Man for All Seasons, a critic remarked, “This isn’t acting. This is standing around remembering lines.” I suspect his performance suffers from a similar issue.

On the positive side, the young cast works extraordinarily hard, running, jumping, and climbing on various pieces of equipment. However, I did grow weary of a lighting rig that was meant to represent a tree but was clearly just that, a lighting rig, being lowered in so Katniss could climb up it.

Conor McPherson, one of our great playwrights, is responsible for the script, but my concern remains. If we are going to stage this, we need something new. The proximity and action of seeing people run around simply did not engage me. There was also a considerable amount of dancing, which had mixed results. A sequence near the end featured the cast rising from the floor to perform a leaning dance, the meaning of which eluded me entirely.

The show relies heavily on prior knowledge of the original film, with exposition and explanations shouted out to assist those who may not be familiar. For instance, towards the end, when all the “creatures” return on all fours, I later realised they were the deceased tributes. It should not be necessary to have watched the film extensively to understand the production.

There is one Easter egg related to the prequel novels, concerning a Fourth of July date, that I will not elaborate on, but my friend Becky, who attended with me, was particularly excited to see it included.

Fans of the books and films will enjoy the spectacle, including vigorous fight sequences and dance interludes, but those looking for depth or innovation on stage may come away disappointed by the lack of new dramatic substance.

The stage adaptation of The Hunger Games delivers high-octane action and impressive athleticism, but it feels more like a theme park show than a piece of theatre.

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