Hunger Games on stage 'dazzles' but some critics say it 'lacks emotion'

In a corner of London's Canary Wharf, better known for finance than fireballs, The Hunger Games: On Stage has bought Panem to life in a purpose-built 1,200 seat arena.

The show is an adaptation of Suzanne Collins' bestselling dystopian novels, made into a film franchise starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, in which teenagers are selected to fight to the death in a televised spectacle.

The £26m Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre, with arena-style seating, placing audiences in different "districts", has been built to allow for sweeping visuals, immersive projections and dramatic aerial sequences.

At one point Katniss, played by Mia Carragher, and Peeta, played by Euan Garrett, fly over the stage in a chariot on fire.

While critics, including The Stage, praised the show's ambition and technical wizardry, some expressed reservations about whether the story packed enough of an emotional punch.

A two-star review by the Financial Times said it was visually energetic but lacked "a beating heart".

"There's little emotional impact - we are watching children die and that should hit hard, but it doesn't," Sarah Hemming wrote.

But The Stage's Holly O'Mahony called the show "ambitious and spectacular.

Her four-star review said there is "plenty here to impress fans of the franchise, and the space is used in its entirety."

The Independent's three-star review praised Carragher for her athletic and impressive stage debut.

Alice Saville agreed with The Times that the show has "all the bells, bangs and whistles you'd expect – but it misses the point of her story".

However a two-star review by Clive Davis in The Times said the arena looks impressive when you arrive, but once the action starts you realise the show "struggles to fill it with enough spectacle to justify the steep prices".

The cast, including newcomer Carragher, who is the daughter of ex-Liverpool footballer Jamie Carragher, were praised for their performances.

Davis said she is an "energetic central presence" and "Garrett wins our sympathy".

The Guardian's three-star review from Arifa Akbar said the show is "all spectacle above emotion", adding: "You don't feel the dread in Conor McPherson's adaptation, which seems clipped by the pace of events."

But the Telegraph's Claire Alfree called the show a "depressingly bad adaptation" of the young adult books.

Her two-star review said director Matthew Dunster, who has also directed shows including 2:22 - A Ghost Story, failed to "reimagine and revitalise its source material".

The play has kept true to the books, and producer Tristan Baker said it was important to not have any plot changes, but there "are lots of Easter Eggs and some wonderful surprises if you know the world".