Based on the original “Hunger Games” story, this gripping tale of courage, defiance and unbreakable human spirit, follows the fearless heroine Katniss Everdeen on her journey of self-discovery, as she emerges as a beacon of rebellion and hope. Multi award-winning playwright Conor McPherson (Girl from the North Country, The Weir) and Director Matthew Dunster (2:22 – A Ghost Story, Hangmen, The Pillowman), will bring this powerful story to life on stage, using extraordinary stunts and illusions in an epic, unforgettable, theatrical experience.
There are problems. Mia Carragher is certainly up to the considerable physical demands of playing Katniss, and maybe that’s why she got the role - there are no stunt doubles here. But she’s somewhat light on the ol’ charisma and she talks in a breathy Marilyn Monroe-style accent that is odd bordering on distracting. She’s not helped by Conor McPherson’s adaptation, which casts her as both protagonist and narrator. It’s true that there’s a lot to explain. But in such an action-heavy format, having the lead character constantly offering background on what’s going on really undermines the sense of her living in a dangerous moment.
Transporting such a roaming, highly technical story to the stage is ambitious. And in Dunster’s production, there’s some friction between making it theatrical, with a largely bare stage leaving detailed world-building to the audience’s imagination, and a desire to impress with spectacle, flames and mid-air fights. There are no attempts to hide the harnesses that send the story’s heroine, Katniss (Mia Carragher, in a physically demanding stage debut) soaring, or to make the crane arm that she climbs look like a tree. These moments can seem like watching a behind-the-scenes video showcasing green-screen technology.
| 2025 | West End |
West End |
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