Did you, at any point while you were reading or watching The Hunger Games, think, “hmm, this isn’t quite realistic enough. I wish I could watch these kids murder each other in real life”? Now you (kind of) can. The Hunger Games is officially coming to the stage in a new London production, opening this October at the Troubador Canary Wharf Theatre. The space will be a theater-in-the-round, custom built for an “immersive take” on Suzanne Collins’ 2008 novel, per TheWrap. That means you too can feel like a gleeful Capitol resident or terrified District 12 local watching all that child-on-child crime unfold from multiple angles—even if it is (hopefully!) just a crafty bit of stage combat.
The play—which will cover just the first book in the series—was written by Conor McPherson and will be directed by Matthew Dunster. Collins lauded the two men in a statement, writing that “Conor 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.”
For McPherson, who previously wrote Girl From The North Country and adapted Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, Katniss’ story is personal. “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,” he wrote.
It is a great time to be a Hunger Games fan. While the OG novel series ended with 2010’s Mockingjay (and the original run of films wrapped up in 2015), the series has seen a real renaissance in recent years, perhaps because of all that uncertainty McPherson mentioned. Collins published a prequel, The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes, in 2020, which was subsequently turned into a film in 2023. Last year, she announced another prequel, this time focused on Haymitch’s character, called Sunrise On The Reaping. That novel—due March 18—will also be turned into a film directed by Francis Lawrence.
In the meantime, Londoners can tide themselves over with the stage show, which opens October 20. Tickets go on sale 1 p.m. GMT on March 27.
