The Hunger Games has officially commenced at the Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre or should I say arena? And wow, this production has really bought it’ A-GAME.

The tone for this show is set upon your arrival, as you are ushered to your seat, which is located in a certain district, me being from District 5. Once inside the arena, you are welcomed to a large open space and in the centre a single bow is hovering, in the darkness. As the story begins, a lone figure appears from the smoke: Katniss Everdeen, Suzanne Collin’s heroine from District 12.

Suzanne Collins, dystopian world is bought to life on stage by director Matthew Dunster, who picks out themes such as oppression, emphasising the societal divides by having the residents of District 12 shown through drab grey-scale clothing. Which is a clear contrast to the gaudy, bright, eccentric colourful attire and setting for the Capitol. Dunster, and his team tackle mammoth choreography with ease, making the fights epic in nature, having the tribute suspended in the air whilst fighting is an impressive feat. I’ve never seen a show use the whole venue as a playground for action.

Mia Carragher gives a powerful portrayal of Katniss Everdeen, which no mean feat following on from Jennifer Lawerence’s divine turn as Katniss. Her athleticism is something to admired, as even though this role is physically challenging, she equally matched the high intensity scenes with the more quieter ones. Her acting skills really stood out during the harrowing scene in which Rue is killed – singing to a dying Rue acted as a pause or should I say a deep breath in the midst of the chaos. However, I do believe she lacked in some aspects of the role, especially during the narrative moments – this offered very little to the story and felt dull. Euan Garret’s turn as Peeta Mellark was equally impressive, acting has the calm, collective counterpart to Carragher’s anger-ridden Katniss. However, the performer of the night for me was extravagant, immoral host Caesar Flickerman (Stavros Demetraki). Demetraki, accurate portrayal is a worthy interpretation of Caesar, pulling inspiration from Stanley Tucci, but never being a carbon copy. His inclusion of the audience is admirable, allowing us to become a part of the story – as the capitol Spectators.

The unsung heroes of this production is the immensely talented ensemble who are all tasked with the challenge of dual-rolling as contestants, capitol residents and district 12 residents. Their athleticism is something to be admired; if they’re not dancing, they’re fighting and while they’re singing, they’re also acting a stage-hands, moving the sets pieces around the core cast. Each and everyone actor on that stage bought their a-game and never once did it faulter.

When casting was announced that John Malkovich, would be appearing (only) on screen as the main antagonist President Snow, there was an excited buzz. However, even with the enormous projection of him, which aides in making him feel god-like, his performance sadly falls flat and feels almost disengaged – which cheapened his role in the story.

The real stars of this production and who deserve the real praise are the set (Miriam Buether) and lighting (Lucy Carter) designers. Buether’s design is bold, unapologetic and vey gladiator-esque. The swift, changing and at times moving set, acts as cage to Katniss who is rarely off stage – this makes her feel like a Mockingjay who is caught in a cage. Carter’s lighting choices were exquisite, highlighting moments of tension and sorrow beautifully. The haunting display of a sharp red tunnelled light when a tribute died, jolted the horrific reality of witnessing a child die. Though Matthew Dunster’s decision to have them almost casually walk off in plain-sight took away from the stabbing visual of them dying.

This production of much loved book and film series, is a feast for the fans and there is no doubt they will leave wanting more. I am intrigued to see if there will be a stage adaptation of the later books in the future…but for now this titan of a show has you leaving satisfied. Oh, and the odd be ever in itsfavour.

The Hunger Games is playing until October 2026 at Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre.

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