Criticisms mount for the clunky adaptation of 'The Hunger Games: On Stage', with some hailing its high-energy performances as a highlight. But others argue that it falls flat due to its poorly executed script and failure to tackle the subject matter's moral implications.
For playwright Conor McPherson and director Matthew Dunster, setting this dystopian tale in Depression-era America might seem like a bold move, but ultimately feels uninspired. The drab atmosphere and lack of tension in the first half of the show sets the tone for what promises to be a disjointed experience.
Arifa Akbar at The Guardian praises Mia Carragher as Katniss Everdeen, calling her an "energetic central presence." However, she criticizes the fact that Carragher has too much exposition to deliver, while being required to narrate the story on top of sprinting around. The script's clunky dialogue is a major issue, leaving some critics feeling disengaged.
Clive Davis at The Times likens the performance to a "ratings equivalent of Strictly Come Dancing in Panem." He notes that the audience is supposed to feel like complicit viewers, but the show fails to deliver on this. This raises serious questions about whether the adaptation is using the children's suffering for entertainment value.
Alice Saville at The Independent praises the set design and choreography by Miriam Buether and Charlotte Broom, respectively. However, she criticizes the production for its heavy-handed approach to depicting the arena-like stage and the fight sequences, which feel overly stylized.
Patrick Marmion at the Daily Mail finds the entire setup "a bit of a colosseum." He praises the energy of the performers but feels that they are wasted on the poorly written script. The show's tone is inconsistent, veering wildly from high-energy action to awkward attempts at humor.
Ian Dickinson's sound design and Kev McCurdy's fight direction receive praise for bringing the fight scenes to life, while Chris Fisher's illusions send arrows flying into their targets. However, it feels like these elements are struggling to elevate a weak narrative.
Holly O'Mahoney at The Stage highlights the performers' stamina and athleticism but notes that it may not be enough to save the show. She argues that Dunster and McPherson fail to reimagine or revitalize the source material, instead falling back on familiar tropes without adding anything new or thought-provoking.
Claire Allfree at The Telegraph praises Carragher's energy but criticizes the script for its clunky exposition. She feels that the show fails to engage with the subject matter's moral implications, creating a sense of detachment in the audience.
Fiona Mountford at the i paper finds the casting of John Malkovich as President Snow to be jarring, while Andrzej Lukowski at Time Out expresses frustration with the overall production for its lack of originality and thought-provoking commentary.
For playwright Conor McPherson and director Matthew Dunster, setting this dystopian tale in Depression-era America might seem like a bold move, but ultimately feels uninspired. The drab atmosphere and lack of tension in the first half of the show sets the tone for what promises to be a disjointed experience.
Arifa Akbar at The Guardian praises Mia Carragher as Katniss Everdeen, calling her an "energetic central presence." However, she criticizes the fact that Carragher has too much exposition to deliver, while being required to narrate the story on top of sprinting around. The script's clunky dialogue is a major issue, leaving some critics feeling disengaged.
Clive Davis at The Times likens the performance to a "ratings equivalent of Strictly Come Dancing in Panem." He notes that the audience is supposed to feel like complicit viewers, but the show fails to deliver on this. This raises serious questions about whether the adaptation is using the children's suffering for entertainment value.
Alice Saville at The Independent praises the set design and choreography by Miriam Buether and Charlotte Broom, respectively. However, she criticizes the production for its heavy-handed approach to depicting the arena-like stage and the fight sequences, which feel overly stylized.
Patrick Marmion at the Daily Mail finds the entire setup "a bit of a colosseum." He praises the energy of the performers but feels that they are wasted on the poorly written script. The show's tone is inconsistent, veering wildly from high-energy action to awkward attempts at humor.
Ian Dickinson's sound design and Kev McCurdy's fight direction receive praise for bringing the fight scenes to life, while Chris Fisher's illusions send arrows flying into their targets. However, it feels like these elements are struggling to elevate a weak narrative.
Holly O'Mahoney at The Stage highlights the performers' stamina and athleticism but notes that it may not be enough to save the show. She argues that Dunster and McPherson fail to reimagine or revitalize the source material, instead falling back on familiar tropes without adding anything new or thought-provoking.
Claire Allfree at The Telegraph praises Carragher's energy but criticizes the script for its clunky exposition. She feels that the show fails to engage with the subject matter's moral implications, creating a sense of detachment in the audience.
Fiona Mountford at the i paper finds the casting of John Malkovich as President Snow to be jarring, while Andrzej Lukowski at Time Out expresses frustration with the overall production for its lack of originality and thought-provoking commentary.
I'm telling ya, this 'The Hunger Games: On Stage' is a total farce! They took this dark and gritty tale from Panem and adapted it to Depression-era America without adding any real depth or complexity. It's like they just phoned it in and expected us to be entertained by the fancy choreography and set design 
. But let's be real, if you're gonna adapt 'The Hunger Games', you gotta tackle those tough moral questions head-on. Instead, this production is all about style over substance 
. And don't even get me started on President Snow – John Malkovich just doesn't cut it as the iconic villain 
. It's like they took every cool element and threw them in a blender without any regard for the narrative itself 
. I mean, what were McPherson and Dunster thinking?! 
They need to revamp that script or it's gonna be tough to get an Oscar nod 
. I don't get why they chose to set it in Depression-era America, it feels so forced and uninspired 
. The dialogue is cringeworthy at times and the set design is just okay 
... maybe they could've done something more with the arena-like stage? But seriously, if you're gonna adapt a dystopian tale like The Hunger Games, you gotta tackle those moral implications 
or it's all just shallow entertainment 
.
The Hunger Games: On Stage is like that one friend who just doesn't get it 
I mean, come on, a Hunger Games musical set in Depression-era America? That's like putting kale on a hot dog 
. Not exactly the most inspired choice, if you ask me. I get that it's supposed to be bold, but it just feels like they're phoning it in. The performances are fine, don't get me wrong, Mia Carragher is definitely got some energy 
, but can't they tone down the exposition a notch? It's like watching Katniss narrate her own backstory on repeat 
.
. I mean, I've seen more cohesive effort from a middle school production of Grease 
. And don't even get me started on the script 
. It's like they took all the moral implications and just... forgot about them? 
and Miriam Buether's choreography looks 
. I mean, can't we have a more nuanced take on this whole dystopian thing? 
. The set design is actually pretty cool though 
! But overall, it's just a lot of hype and not enough substance 
. What do you think about the whole thing? 
the set design is on point tho like miriam buether and charlotte broom did an amazing job with the arena-like stage 
the dialogue is just cringeworthy and i'm still not sure wut happened in the first half of the show 
i mean what's up with that? cant they just make it work without Mia Carragher having to narrate the whole thing? 
im not buying into the "ratings equivalent of strictly come dancing" vibe at all. clive davis can keep his Strictly love 
but, on the other hand, it's just so... meh 
, and Mia Carragher's performance as Katniss is pretty energetic 
️, but then again, she's stuck with all that exposition to deliver and it feels like a chore 
... and don't even get me started on that script 
... I mean, who thought it was a good idea to have Katniss narrate her own story while she's fighting for survival? 
... anyway, I'm still gonna go see it because Mia Carragher is supposed to be amazing as Katniss 
it's like they're using Katniss as a prop to get us invested in the story instead of actually tackling the tough issues surrounding the arena and the Capitol's exploitation of kids. And don't even get me started on the dialogue – it feels so forced and unnatural, like they're trying too hard to be edgy but ending up coming across as insincere