THE HUNGER GAMES Heads to the Stage in 2025

Sprawling dystopian fiction has always had a place on our stages—just look at George Orwell’s 1984 or Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID’S TALE. Yet THE HUNGER GAMES stands out for its sheer cultural force. More than 100 million copies of Suzanne Collins’s series have been sold worldwide, and they’ve been translated into 52 languages. Factor in a staggering $3.4 billion earned at the global box office, and you’ve got a phenomenon that’s both literary and cinematic. So why stop there?

The impetus to bring it alive in a theatre setting might seem obvious, but actually doing so is a gargantuan undertaking. To make it truly immersive, the production team at Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre has redesigned the venue as an in-the-round setting, meaning the stage is surrounded on all sides by viewers, akin to the tributes in the arena. This format is no easy feat: it demands meticulous choreography, lighting intricacies that adapt to 360-degree viewing angles, and fluid movement so that every seat in the house offers a front-row perspective. The payoff, however, can be enormous: an experience that’s intimate, immediate, and impossible to replicate through a screen.

Matthew Dunster, known for his bold directorial choices, has been workshopping the show for over a year, collaborating closely with Charlotte Broom on choreography to maintain a sense of raw immediacy. What emerges from these workshops is a vision that emphasises not only the brutality of the arena but also the internal battles of each character. Dunster recently shared that he wants to capture a spirit “as impactful and edgy as the novel” but shaped for the stage. In other words, don’t expect a carbon copy of the film. We’ll see something that stands on its own theatrical feet while paying homage to the source that captured the imaginations of millions.

Spectacle Promised

There’s something irresistible about seeing a familiar world transformed right before your eyes, especially when the production team includes some of the best in the business. Miriam Buether is in charge of set design—she’s earned a reputation for transforming spaces into entirely new realities, often using minimalist yet striking visual cues. She’ll be working hand-in-glove with Moi Tran, the costume designer tasked with capturing the stark contrast between the impoverished districts and the decadent Capitol. The synergy between set and costume design in a show like THE HUNGER GAMES isn’t mere aesthetics; it’s the difference between a world that feels superficial and one that grips you by the collar, demanding your empathy from the moment the lights dim.

Then there’s the technical wizardry: Ian Dickinson for Autograph on sound design, Tal Rosner on video design, Chris Fisher overseeing illusions, and fight director Kev McCurdy ensuring every clash and scuffle brims with tension. This cross-departmental collaboration is the hallmark of contemporary theatre at its best. Each element—lighting, soundscapes, illusions—must reinforce the script’s emotional beats without overshadowing them. And with Conor McPherson’s dialogue at the centre, it’s likely to be dialogue worth hearing. McPherson has praised Suzanne Collins for crafting a story that resonates especially with young audiences, and he’s determined to keep that resonance front and centre. Given that the next generation has grown up with Katniss Everdeen as a heroine, it’s only fitting that the stage version upholds the values of resilience and moral courage that defined the original.

A major highlight—and a logistical marvel—is the newly designed 1,200-seat Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre. There’s something tangibly exciting about a fresh venue dedicating itself to a world premiere. If you’ve ever had the thrill of walking into a brand-new performance space, you’ll know the feeling: that sense of stepping into uncharted territory, where every seat is unscratched and every corridor is waiting for footprints. The chance to see a ground-breaking adaptation in a theatre tailored for its debut is an opportunity that seldom comes around. The theatre’s design is rumoured to incorporate state-of-the-art rigging and flying systems (the team at Suspended Illusions has been brought on board), which hints at a physically daring production where cast members could quite literally soar above your head.

The Power Of Youthful Protest

We all know Katniss Everdeen’s story as an emblem of rebellion, but one aspect that can be overshadowed by the high-octane action is the protagonist’s youth. Theatre, with its immediacy and close-up intensity, offers a prime environment to highlight her teenage struggles and alliances in a starkly oppressive society. McPherson, a father to a teenager himself, has indicated that emphasising Katniss’s “young voice” is crucial. In the workshops, it seems they’ve given special attention to the rebellious energy of the younger performers, who bring a fresh dynamic to the stage that might differ from the polished star-power of the film cast.

In a world increasingly aware of the climate crisis, political upheaval, and social inequalities, young protest has become a defining force of change. The parallels between Katniss’s tribulations and the modern-day activism of real teenagers around the globe might be one of the most potent angles of this production. Imagine leaving the theatre not only marvelling at the illusions or humming along to the show’s music, but also reflecting on the ways this fictional dystopia nudges us to question our own reality. That’s the beauty of live performance: it stirs both our emotions and our intellect, often in ways we don’t anticipate.

A Teaser of Things to Come

Back in early workshops, the creative team released a teaser video featuring glimpses of performers diving into choreographed sequences that simulated the chaos of the arena. While the clip was no more than a minute long, it served as a testament to the months of groundwork: every pivot, lunge, and expression was captured with the sharpness of a well-honed routine. Lucy Carter on lighting and James Maloney on musical direction have been critical in ensuring that even these early iterations feel dynamic. If a workshop teaser can leave you breathless, imagine what the final show will do.

The new novel in the series, Sunrise on the Reaping, hits shelves in March 2025, with a film adaptation scheduled for November 2026. That means the stage show slots perfectly between these two major milestones. For fans hungry for a more immersive taste of Panem, this is the perfect interlude. And if you’re entirely new to the franchise, there’s no better way to plunge into the story than by having it unfold live, mere metres away from your seat.

I’ve heard from a member of the production team (who shall remain nameless to keep the mystique) that the illusions planned will make you question whether you’re actually safe in your seat. Expect swirling projections, quick set changes, and interactive moments that will draw you in as if you’re a spectator in the Capitol. This source also hinted at a few “unexpected twists” that remain top secret, ensuring even the most devoted fans of the novels and films will have plenty of surprises.

Booking Your Passage To Panem

Tickets go on general sale on 27 March 2025, with priority access available through the production’s official website. Based on early buzz and the enduring popularity of THE HUNGER GAMES, I’d wager seats will vanish faster than you can say “May the odds be ever in your favour.” If you’re keen to be among the first to witness Katniss Everdeen’s story unfold in this cutting-edge venue, consider setting your alarms for that ticket release date. This is one of those openings that has “sell-out success” written all over it.

In the swirl of excitement, it’s tempting to view this as just another adaptation, but I’d caution you: look deeper. This is not an attempt to replicate the film’s visually stunning set pieces or to overshadow the original novel’s stark moral questions. It’s an entirely new experience that marries epic storytelling with the raw, live energy that only theatre can deliver. We’re about to see Panem in the round, complete with illusions, fights, flying performers, and a wealth of talent working tirelessly behind the scenes—all in service of giving you a night of drama, tension, and perhaps the tiniest glimmer of hope amidst the gloom.

If there’s one certainty about theatre, it’s that it thrives on reinvention—on taking what we think we know and reframing it so we see it anew. THE HUNGER GAMES stage production promises to do precisely that. So dust off your Mockingjay pin, grab your seats early, and get ready to enter an arena where every glance, every spotlight, and every explosive moment could redefine how you experience Suzanne Collins’s iconic tale. Because the moment that curtain rises, you’ll know for certain: the odds really are in our favour.