Jason Battersby on Playing Cato in The Hunger Games On Stage

A Purpose-Built Arena Brings the Games to Canary Wharf

If you have walked past the towers of Canary Wharf on a weekday evening, you will know how quickly the area fills with commuters heading for the Jubilee line, the Elizabeth line or the DLR. Few of them realise that one of the most unusual theatre experiences in the capital now sits in the middle of it. The Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre has just started its second year hosting The Hunger Games: On Stage, the first stage adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ bestselling series. The building was purpose-built for the production, and that matters. Instead of a traditional proscenium stage, the audience surrounds the arena, so every seat is close to the action and the sense of danger feels immediate.

For those of us who live on this side of the river, it is a useful reminder that London’s entertainment options are not confined to the West End. Many visitors plan their days around Whitehall London and the London Big Ben landmarks, or head to a London museum or a London exhibition, before heading back to their hotels. Canary Wharf offers a different kind of outing. It is a short trip from the City, Greenwich and east London, and the surrounding waterside walks make a good pairing with an evening show. If you are looking for where to go in London this season, this is worth adding to the list, especially if you have never been to an arena-style production before.

Meet the Cast: Jason Battersby and the Character of Cato

The new company includes Jason Battersby, who plays Cato, the male tribute from District 2. In the story, Cato is one of the Careers, a group of tributes trained from childhood for the Games, and he becomes one of Katniss Everdeen’s fiercest rivals in the arena. Battersby describes himself as a longtime fan of the franchise, which he says made the role both thrilling and daunting. He admits that playing a character so familiar from the books and films was something his younger self could never have imagined.

What stands out in his approach is his focus on insecurity. Cato is often remembered as brutish and short-tempered, but Battersby believes that anger grows from a deeper fear. He sees a young man who has been told he was born to win, then watches the Games strip that identity away as Katniss keeps outmaneuvering him. When his options run out, he falls back on tantrums and raw emotion. For the cast and crew, that interpretation shapes every scene, and for audiences it may change how they judge a character they thought they already understood. Battersby says he reread both the novel and the first film while preparing, and he is still working through the rest of the books to better understand Collins’ world.

What Local Readers Should Know Before Booking

For residents, the production is more than a night out. It brings a sizeable creative team, a rotating company of performers and a steady flow of visitors to Canary Wharf, which supports nearby restaurants, bars and shops on the evenings the show runs. If you are planning a visit, arrive early enough to explore the waterfront or grab a bite before the performance, and check the theatre’s website for current showtimes, seating options and accessibility information, since arena staging can affect where you can sit and how you move around the venue.

The production also asks its audience to pay attention. Battersby notes that being seated so close to the action makes the themes of the story feel more real, and that is worth considering if you are bringing younger family members. The show includes fight choreography, flying, illusions, video and large-scale effects, so it may be intense for some children. Look at the age guidance before buying tickets.

Watch for further interviews in this series, as more of the new and returning cast share their approach to the roles. If the production continues to draw strong attendance, it could mean more reasons for the area to become a regular destination on your list of where to go in London.

Source: Interview with THE HUNGER GAMES: ON STAGE’s Jason Battersby

Fans planning to visit London can catch this stage adaptation of The Hunger Games, where Jason Battersby brings Cato to life.