"Hunger Games" Stage Show Planned

Image: nytimes.com

According to a BBC story, plans to stage The Hunger Games as a theatrical event are in the works. The show will reportedly require a theatre build in London specifically for the event, with organizers suggesting the performance will be an "immersive" audience experience. Unaddressed was the notion of a live audience applauding survivors of author Suzanne Collins' grimly depicted death matches.

The concept of a Broadway-style Hunger Games seems more in keeping with ancient gladiatorial concepts than the cherished theatrical traditions of the land of Shakespeare and Shaw. It does seem likely that the production will be a big-budget item, with ticket prices and hype to match. The global road show, de rigueur for contemporary theatrical extravaganzas, should be a curiosity. Somehow, a Roman setting echoing a decadent empire would seem fitting for a theatrical showcase of Collins' dystopian themes.