May the odds be ever in your favor… when trying to get a ticket to the premiere of The Hunger Games: On Stage.
On Oct. 20, the dystopian world of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy will leap from the page onto the stage, making its long-awaited theatrical debut at the Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre in London. This 1,200-seat venue, designed specifically for this production, sits at the heart of London’s financial district—a fitting, and somewhat ironic, location for a story about the ways in which power and wealth divide and oppress people in society.
Written by Conor McPherson, a Tony-winning playwright, the adaptation will cover the events of the first novel in the trilogy, with Matthew Dunster directing and Runaway Entertainment and Lionsgate, the production behind the film franchise, set to produce.
Set in a dystopian future, The Hunger Games follows Katniss Everdeen, a 15-year-old girl who volunteers to take her sister’s place in a brutal, televised competition known as “the Hunger Games,” where 24 child tributes fight to the death. As she navigates the lethal arena, Katniss becomes a symbol of defiance, challenging the oppressive Capitol and sparking a rebellion that threatens to upend the totalitarian regime controlling her society.
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The Hunger Games: On Stage arrives onto the theatre scene in a moment of cultural and political instability that feels practically tailor made for the production.
In 2024, The Hunger Games returned to public consciousness after a viral TikTok and Instagram trend saw users pair clips of celebrity attendees at the Met Gala, while playing the song “The Hanging Tree”—an anthem from the film franchise about authoritarian repression and capitalistic greed. Some videos even had TikTokers juxtaposing the Met Gala clips with images of people from Gaza and Ukraine.
“Same planet, different worlds,” read the caption on one Instagram reel.
“Hunger Gala 2024,” read another on TikTok.
The Hunger Games’ themes of class divide and political oppression, and the way those themes seem to resonate with younger generations, was something that initially attracted McPherson to the project.
“As a dad to a teenager myself, it’s especially gratifying working on a story whose values of resilience and moral courage speak to young people in these uncertain times,” McPherson told Variety.
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If there were any lingering doubts about whether the play can capture the intensity of the books and films, it should feel comforting to know that Collins has given the production her stamp of approval.
“I’m thrilled that The Hunger Games is in the hands of gifted playwright Conor McPherson and accomplished director Matthew Dunster,” Collins said. “Connor has done a fantastic adaptation, which is quite unique from the screenplay. And Matthew’s immersive, dynamic staging gives the audience a brand-new way to experience the story.”
