The mockingjay is live on stage in this brand new London theatre!
The Hunger Games: On Stage has recently opened for preview performances at the newly built Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre. The theatre has been made with this production specifically in mind: being a highly anticipated new release in London this 2025 season. Canary Wharf is also a great place to host the venue and show, feeling right at home here! The show is in preview performances until early November, having opened Monday this week. Sadly, the show has received a lot of negative criticism already: regardless of being in ‘previews’ which would suggest that the show is still improving and developing. I was personally super excited to watch The Hunger Games: On Stage. However, hearing that the show has received less favourable reception did concern me, so I was eager to see if the criticism was justified.
The Hunger Games is a franchise created by Suzanne Collins, which has spanned over multiple books: with the most recent book receiving a movie adaptation later this year. This staged production focuses on the first book, created in 2008, which sees Katniss Everdeen enter the game as a volunteer to protect her younger sister. A movie was later released featuring Jennifer Lawrence as the lead role. Growing up in the 2000s, The Hunger Games has been very prevalent to me. I read the books before the movies released and still enjoy the world of Panem: including both prequel books. I do have my problems with the original story, such as the prolonged period of time before they enter the games. But once the games begin, I’m fully invested. I was intrigued by a stage production, as the story is quite long and features a strong political message: can they really show this on the stage?
The outside of the Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre looks very modern, giving a stylised look towards it. The giant mockingjay symbol on top really helped to locate the theatre. Alongside Canary Wharf, there are lots of lit pillars with fire, as well as many posters for the show. These are also a great touch as it really makes the environment feel ready for the show. Thankfully there was no waiting outside for my performance. Inside the theatre, the building is just not ready for the public yet. From the staircase with scaffolding, to the toilets which still have the new ‘paint’ smell: it’s clear that the team were not ready for viewers. That being said, I think once the venue is fully developed, it could be one of the nicest new theatres in London. There’s so much potential here and I think it’s important to remember that we are not at opening night yet. I do wonder if it is worth shutting the show for a few months to finalise the designs, but I can understand the financial side due to the high levels of money invested into the show. Throughout the venue; there are a few different photo opportunities, comfortable chairs and merchandise to buy. All the merch looks great but quite pricey. It might also be worthy mentioning that in the auditorium, signal and service was hard to get for a few people around me, though others had no problem.
My view from District 11 was considered ‘restricted viewing’. I would say that they can easily change this to normal viewing as you can genuinely see all of the stage. You might have to lean forward a bit depending on your height but this wasn’t a problem for me. I sat on the far end of the row and there was so much room, which really shocked and impressed me. The front railing is still a work in progress but works for the previews. The whole stage is very impressive and you can see all the districts really well. The lighting throughout the show is fantastic and also looks brilliant. I think once the show is up and running fully, it could be a real spectacle. At the current previews, it is still pretty spectacular but is a little off the ‘fantastic’ experience that the show could be. I do agree with some of the criticisms around Snow being on the video but it didn’t affect my experience personally. The show utilises a wide range of lighting which helps brings the piece together. On the other hand, due to stage I thought the set would be lacking. I was very happy to be wrong, making use of the set quite a lot alongside then lighting to being Panem to life!
After a few minutes delay; the production began. Throughout the show; we had to stop a few times for technical issues. This is to be expected at a preview, whilst they discover any problems and develop the show. The show itself is quite good. The story of The Hunger Games is still here, though the overall performance needs refinements which it will receive throughout this preview period. There is quite a bit of filler but when the action is going, you really feel a great sense of drama: especially once in the games. The production is most similar to the book in the way the characters talk, using lots of monologues and speeches. The ensemble randomly join in a different parts to move/dance around the stage which was a bit jarring but I quite liked. It gives lots of young actors an opportunity to perform and I think that’s great. The acting overall was really great! I’m not sure what the newspapers are talking about. Each dance, song and fighting was fantastic and they were all amazing in their roles. I won’t talk about individual performances as the show is in previews, but Mia has the makings of a fantastic Katniss whilst Elian will be a brilliant future Peeta: once both get time to flesh out their roles.
Potentially in 2026, I’m excited to come back and watch the show again, as well as visit the theatre. It definitely has potential and I don’t think it bad at all (I actually really loved it) but I also think people seemingly didn’t know it was a preview performance so the breaks might be upsetting. Now is the perfect time to take any advice from viewers and modify the show to be the best it can be! I wish all the cast and crew a great run once everything is up and running!
The Hunger Games: On Stage will continue previews till November. Overall, the show is already phenomenal! If you want to see a fully developed version, I would recommend going later in the year or early next year! I should think once it has polished itself, the show will be around 3 hours long, but current preview performances may differ.
Max
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