The highly anticipated stage adaptation of The Hunger Games has been labelled “chaotic” and “messy” by theatregoers after its first preview show on Monday (20 October).
The Hunger Games: On Stage opened at the purpose-built 1,200 seater venue, Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre, with US actor John Malkovich playing the villain, President Snow, on a screen.
Attendees of the preview night complained that the theatre appeared not to be fully finished, and that they waited outdoors for more than one hour to be let into the theatre due to delays related to cast illnesses.
Theatregoers said the show finally commenced at 8.30pm, instead of its scheduled time of 7.30pm. They also claimed that the performance finished much later than expected, at 11.45pm.
“Can’t believe I was at the shambolic first night of the Hunger Games on stage what a day,” wrote one attendee on X/Twitter, while another added: “The Hunger Games on stage was an evening I won’t forget any time soon. Chaotic.”
The Independent has contacted representatives for the production for comment.
One attendee, who uses a wheelchair, said in a TikTok video that the poor view from her seat in the accessibility area meant she asked for a refund and left the venue early.
“I couldn’t see anything from my seat,” she said, adding that she asked the box office for a different seat, but they were unable to accommodate her.
“I’m so disappointed because I’ve looked forward to this for so many months but I couldn’t even get to see the show,” she said.
“I don’t get how, in 2025, you are still having accessibility problems like this. There are so many theatres across London that are hundreds of years old and do the best they can to make them accessible. How can you build one in the year 2025 and not have this be a priority? It’s such an oversight which is so disappointing,” they said.
The show is the first-ever theatre adaptation of Suzanne Collins’s best-selling young adult novel series, which famously spawned five films starring Jennifer Lawrence as hero Katniss Everdeen. In the acclaimed books, the all-powerful Capitol sends children to fight to the death for sport and retribution.
Plenty of attendees praised the production itself – with the cast receiving a standing ovation at the end of the show – but said the organisation of the venue needed improvement.
“Lots of work to do on The Hunger Games On Stage but that’s mostly down to the venue & the space,” wrote one viewer. “They are definitely going to work on it a lot during previews but all I’ll say is Mia Carragher as Katniss is a star!”
One person claimed they felt “unsafe” in the theatre, writing: “Areas not finished being built, one entrance in and out. My seat felt like it was being held together by hopes and dreams alone.”
Another person shared footage of bare staircases, and wrote: “POV you’re seeing The Hunger Games On Stage and the theatre is still not built.”
“Don’t get me wrong, The Hunger Games On Stage was a brilliant performance, and they did incredibly well to fill in the empty roles. However, the (lack of) organisation last night was horrendous!” said another.
Preview showings of new works are often not without hiccups, and they are often used as opportunities for the cast and crew to amend any issues before press night.
The Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre was built bespokely for the production, with the show and venue costing £26m in total. The theatre is from the same company behind the latest iteration of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre.’
At the Canary Wharf venue, the arena is divided into districts, referencing the book’s fictional world of Panem. Audience members said that the first and second districts are designed so that the seats move throughout the performance as part of the special effects.
Conor McPherson’s stage adaptation uses Collins’s first book in the series and first film as source material. It is directed by Matthew Dunster and designed by Miriam Buether.
