The Hunger Games stage show casts Katniss Everdeen

The first-ever, long-awaited stage adaptation of The Hunger Games will officially open later this year – and lead casting has been announced.

Adapted by award-winning playwright Conor McPherson and directed by Matthew Dunster, the production is based on Suzanne Collins’ first novel in her series, and the Lionsgate film. It’ll play at the new Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre from October 2025.

The creative team has been workshopping the play for over a year, developing a theatrical approach to bring the world of Panem to life in an immersive, in-the-round setting. Watch a teaser video from the workshops here. 

Collins said she was excited for the adaptation and praised McPherson’s script as distinct from the film’s screenplay, adding: “Matthew’s immersive, dynamic staging gives the audience a brand-new way to experience the story.”

Dunster teased: “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.” Dunster added that this version finds the “young voice of Katniss Everdeen and puts her front and centre.”

Find out more from McPherson as we asked him about the adaptation.

The central role of Katniss Everdeen will be played by Mia Carragher. Further casting is to be revealed.

@whatsonstage

THE GIRL ON FIRE HAS BEEN CAST   Mia Carragher will star as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games world premiere stage show opening in London this autumn #TheHungerGames #TheHungerGamesOnStage #Theatre #London

♬ original sound – WhatsOnStage

Joining McPherson and Dunster on the creative team are Miriam Buether (set designer), Moi Tran (costume designer), Charlotte Broom (choreographer), Lucy Carter (lighting designer), Ian Dickinson for Autograph (sound designer), Tal Rosner (video designer), Chris Fisher (illusions), Kev McCurdy (fight director), Suspended Illusions (performer flying), James Maloney (arranger, musical director and additional compositions), Amy Ball (casting director), James Robert Moore (associate director), Robyn Grant (creative assistant director), Luke Smith, (associate set designer) and Lloyd Thomas (production manager).

The Hunger Games series has sold over 100 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 52 languages. The films have grossed more than $3.4 billion globally. A new novel in the series, Sunrise on the Reaping, was released earlier this year with a film adaptation scheduled for November 2026.

The production will take place at the Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre, a newly designed 1,200-seat venue built to host the world premiere. Staged in the round, audiences will be seated in one of the districts, with District 12 notably missing.

Performances will begin on 20 October, with previews running until 12 November.