The Hunger Games Innovative Stage Adaptation Will Make Its London Debut
The Hunger Games: On Stage has set a date for its world premiere. The adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ bestselling novel will be the first to debut in London theater, marking its first theatrical production.
Lionsgate has been developing Hunger Games: On Stage for many years. Originally set to premiere last fall, the production was delayed and will now begin performances on October 20.
In an alternative dystopian future, children from twelve districts of Panem are selected via lottery to fight to the death for the entertainment of the Capitol. When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen is forced to fight for her survival, she is put on a path that will lead to a rebellion.
The Hunger Games: On Stage will be a direct adaptation of the first novel in Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games trilogy. It will also draw inspiration from the artistic liberties the 2012 film adaptation starring Jennifer Lawrence took.
Since its debut in 2008, Collins’ critically acclaimed book series has become a worldwide phenomenon. It was followed by two sequels, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. The success of the trilogy sparked a four-film franchise and a prequel novel turned film The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
Colins will release another prequel novel, Sunrise on the Reaping, on March 18. This novel follows Katniss’s mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, through his Quarter Quell. Plans for a major motion picture to be released on November 20, 2026, are already in production.
Adapting the material for the stage is Olivier award-winning playwright Conor McPherson, with Matthew Dunster set to direct. Casting for the role of Everdeen and her supporting characters has yet to be announced.
From the disastrous Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark to the Tony Award-winning of Best Play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a long line of action adventure books have made their way to the stage.
The Hunger Games: On Stage will premiere in a newly built London theater. The Troubadour Theatre, located in the heart of Canary Wharf, was built specifically for the play’s world premiere. Constructed in an in-the-round style, the stage allows the audience to be physically immersed in the dystopian world of Panem.
The seating plan for the upcoming stage adaptation of ‘The Hunger Games’ in London. pic.twitter.com/FigJWYD18H
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Other members of the creative team, alongside McPherson and Dunster, include set designer Miriam Buether, costume designer Charlotte Broom, lighting designer Lucy Carter, sound designer Ian Dickinson, video designer Tal Rosner, illusion Designer Chris Fisher, fight director Kev McCurdy, music director James Maloney, and casting director Amy Ball.
Tickets for The Hunger Games: On Stage will go on sale on March 27 at 8 p.m. ET. To learn more about the pre-sale, click here.
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