Hunger Games stage show slammed as 'a shambles' by fans citing long queues and late start
Hunger Games fans have been left disappointed after a chaotic preview night, which saw long delays, lengthy queues and even complaints over a lack of disability access
Trouble has been brewing in the Capitol. The long-anticipated Hunger Games stage show has come under heavy fire from fans after its first preview on Monday, who have described the show as a “shambles”.
The on-stage adaptation of Suzanne Collin’s acclaimed young adult series opened at London's specially-built Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre on the 20th of October. The show features John Malkovich as the villain President Snow and Mia Carragher as Katniss Everdeen.
But while fans were looking forward to the new live twist on the famous series, many were left disappointed by a laundry list of issues – including lengthy delays.
Footage shared on TikTok showed audience members queuing outside the theatre at 7:29pm, a minute before the show was due to start, with some claiming it eventually started an hour late. Others complained that due to the three-hour run time and interval, this meant they didn't leave the venue until 11:45pm.
Some fans said they still enjoyed the show, despite the chaos. One X user wrote: “Had to leave The Hunger Games early, was actually enjoying it despite the shambles of getting into the venue.”
“Hunger Games on stage view from district 11 row A. Really good despite being called restricted view. The venue and organisation was messy but the play itself was amazing,” another added.
However, it wasn’t just the long wait times that had fans disappointed. Disability influencer Sophie-Jayne Butler claimed she left the theatre before the show started and claimed a refund on her ticket because her seat in the venue “wasn’t accessible”.
She said in a TikTok video: “I couldn’t see anything from my seat. From my space, I could not see the stage at all.” She then showed a picture with a metal rail covering the view of the set.
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Sophie added that she went to the box office to enquire about alternative seating, but was told this wasn’t possible. She said that it was a “‘deal with it’ situation or you can get a refund”.
“I’m so disappointed, I’ve looked forward to this for so many months,” she added. “I don’t get how in 2025 you still have accessibility problems like this.”
The Mirror has reached out to The Hunger Games On Stage and Troubadour Theatre for comment.
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