The first live stage adaptation of Suzanne Collins' blockbuster book The Hunger Games is set to open at a brand new London theatre.
Also based on the first Lionsgate movie starring Jennifer Lawrence as heroine Katniss Everdeen, the show will play at the purpose-built 1,200 seat Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre.
Irish writer Conor McPherson (The Weir, Girl From the North Country) has adapted the first book from the series and the first film from the franchise for a stage version that director Matthew Dunster promises will be "thrillingly theatrical."
"I’m thrilled that The Hunger Games is in the hands of gifted playwright Conor McPherson and accomplished director Matthew Dunster," said Suzanne Collins.
"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."
The Hunger Games encompasses four critically-acclaimed novels that have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, as well as a blockbuster film franchise that has grossed more than $3.4 billion at the box office.
Suzanne Collins’ latest Hunger Games novel Sunrise on the Reaping, is published by Scholastic on March 18 and is set to be adapted into a movie in November 2026.
Conor McPherson said: “As a dad to a teenager, it’s especially gratifying working on a story whose values of resilience and moral courage speak to young people in these uncertain times.
"Our singular focus is to honour Suzanne Collins’ achievement with a faithful adaptation that’s as thrilling on stage as it is on the page."
Matthew Dunster, whose past work includes 2:22 - A Ghost Story and The Pillowman, said: “Conor McPherson lifts the detail and power from the book and film and has provided us with the kind of taut and dangerous play he is renowned for.
"He honours the young voice of Katniss Everdeen and puts her front and centre. We've been workshopping the play for over a year with our world class creative team; carefully honing our theatrical vocabulary because we want to bring audiences something as impactful and edgy as Suzanne Collins’ novel and as passionate and exciting as the movie.
"But we are going to do it in our own way - in the theatre. We want our Hunger Games to be uniquely, thrillingly theatrical."
The state-of-the-art Troubadour Theatre is purpose built to host the world premiere of The Hunger Games and producers say spectators will feel part of the action in the dynamic in-the-round venue.
Tristan Baker & Oliver Royds, joint founders of Troubadour Theatres said: "Bringing The Hunger Games to the stage is an extraordinary moment, and we knew it demanded an equally extraordinary team and venue. This specially designed theatre is the perfect home for Panem, allowing our world class team to create a transportive, electrifying experience that fully captures the scale, intensity, and spectacle of Suzanne Collins’ world.
"Every element—from the staging to the technology—has been tailored to transport audiences right into the heart of the Games."
Tickets for The Hunger Games: On Stage go on sale at 1pm on March 27. Further details from www.thehungergamesonstage.com
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