the fandom supporting the idea that Haymitch would see Effie as a person and give her a chance to be his friend or even his partner regardless of her position makes you uncomfortable cause you can't fathom that Haymitch isn't the radical that you are
If we were talking about Gale, or Johanna, or even Lenore Dove, I would grant you the right to say that they could never bound with someone who profited and personally participated in the Games, with no further consideration of the nuances that brought them to that position, because they all had a very similar viewpoint about what is right and wrong in society, and how much people were deserved to be seen beyond their social standing and ideological shortcomings to be forgiven for their behaviors
But we are talking about Haymitch— and Haymitch has always seen people for their actions, and not their political beliefs. He watched Maysilee being heavily classicist with his starving neighbors for sixteen years, and yet, as soon as he's granted a slightly closer view of her as a real person, she became his sister, regardless of the problematic of her upbringing or her flawed behavior. He warned up for Proserpina and Vitus as soon as they met, even if they made him extremely uncomfortable, because they were silly and close to his age, and their roles in the industry didn't matter enough for him not to call them his "new friends" immediately. He felt sorry about the young Gamemakers that Maritte and Maysilee murdered cuz for him it didn't matter that they wore the labels of the monsters who were doing all of that with them, they were still just children . He saw Silka crying under that tree and it was enough for him to ignore everything she had ever done to him and his friends and throw a piece of chocolate for her, because he knew that although she was cruel, supportive of the Games and guilty of murdering half of his allies, when it came down to it, she was just as human as him
Haymitch was a forgiven and rational boy, and he had always understood where the Capitol citizens stood in the grant political scheme of the Games, even as he had all the reasons to be unreasonable about it. He saw the people for what they had to offer, and not for what they were made to belief, and although he disagreed with things, he never reduced anyone to their mistakes. You are the ones who cannot humanize characters with flaws, but Haymitch Abernathy has never been this person.
I've never read SOTR because I've heard people saying the book killed Hayffie but after the trailer I've decided to do some research and wtf???? The book literally tell us that Effie was with Haymitch SINCE THE BEGINNING AND FOR 25 YEARS!!! It's even better than what we used to head canon decades ago which is like, maybe they met somewhere in the middle or etcetc but since the beginning???????? Omfg
I see some people judging Haymitch and Effie relationship mainly based on the books. I think that's unfair since what we have of their relationship in the books is from Katniss's point of view; she narrates what she sees, and it's a 16-year-old Haymitch who has just met Effie. We could have glimpsed this relationship in the epilogue narrated by him, but it didn't appear (I found it strange, especially in the part where he's writing the names of all the tributes in Katniss's book, and I think that was something he didn't carry alone; I think it's something he and Effie carry together the loss of the tributes)! So, in fact, we don't know the true depth of their relationship. We have 25 years of blank pages in their history, and that's no small thing! It's not a relationship that went from the 50th edition to the 74th overnight; they have a lot of history together.And if we follow the basis we have from the film and even the Hunger Games stage play, we see that yes, there is a very deep connection between them, and no one can judge or argue against that.
Yeah I definetly agree with this. I just love the potential of them together although it’s not specifically mentioned in the books. Also love you mentioned the play, I just love Tamsins and Joshua’s chemistry ❤️
Follow up review of Hunger Games on stage in London
Note: English is not my first language so please forgive any errors and mistakes
Since I saw the show for the first time in November last year (and wrote a previous detailed review about it, link here if anyone is interested:
💬 0 🔁 1 ❤️ 11 · Review Hunger games on stage london · In November 2025 I watched the new theatre production of the hunger games in London
I really wanted to see the play again. In my recent London vacation I was lucky enough to see the show 2 more times and wanted to share my experience in a follow up review.
I must say I really love this show and the more I see it the better it becomes. I once again had a fantastic time in the Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre and really enjoyed experiencing this story live on stage again.
Seats
This time I wanted to try to sit a bit closer to the stage and managed to get tickets in the second row for both shows for a relatively reasonable price (in theatre standards). Sitting so much closer to the stage was such a different and much more intense experience than last time. I really recommend sitting closer to the stage if it’s possible. Seeing the action up close and especially the actors’ facial expressions make a big difference for the enjoyment and the emotions of the show (at least in my opinion). I know it’s not possible for everyone, especially because of ticket prices, but if you can afford it and the tickets are available, I personally think it is worth it. I would not sit in the first row though as the prices are even higher than in the second row and one row really doesn’t make such a big difference that it would justify the higher price. Also, if you are afraid of being jump scared by actors, especially in the big climax of the show (I just say mutts), do not sit in the front row. I think some people in front of me got startled quite badly.
Cast/Actors
One thing I really enjoy about live theatre is that in contrast to a movie you can see different actors interpreting a role which makes seeing a show multiple times so much more interesting and diverse. A play can feel very different with a different cast which keeps a show fresh and exciting to watch. I love comparing different interpretations of the same character.
I was quite lucky to see some wonderful understudies this time in both shows. The two shows did feel different in a lot of ways and it was totally worth seeing it twice just for the different interpretations alone.
For people not that familiar with theatre, a little explanation: Every show has a principal actor for each role. The principal actor will play their role every time they are in the show (with some exceptions), e.g. Mia Carragher is the principal actress for Katniss and will play her when she is not sick or on vacation. When the principal actor is out of the show due to holiday, sickness or injury, an understudy will replace this actor and will play that role for this specific performance, e.g. Kiera Milward is first cover Katniss and will play Katniss for this performance. Most roles have one principal actor and two covers (1st and 2nd cover) although the number of covers can vary from role to role.
Felix Garcia Guyer as Haymitch
In my first show Joshua Lacey (principal Haymitch) was out of the show so I saw the wonderful Felix Garcia Guyer as Haymitch Abernathy. I think Felix is a very talented actor and gave a very convincing performance as Haymitch. I especially enjoyed his emotional acting in the scene where Haymitch says goodbye to Katniss and Peeta for the last time before the games. He really mastered this scene, I really liked that. In my opinion his Haymitch was a bit less drunk than Joshua’s interpretation and a bit meaner and more sarcastic. I thought he was a mixture between sarcastic movie Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), and the darker and more broken version Joshua created (leaning more to Joshua’s interpretation though). Although I personally think Joshua captured the darker and more broken book version of Haymitch a little bit more faithfully and was overall a bit more fitting for the role I think Felix gave a really good performance as Haymitch and everyone who has the pleasure of seeing him will have a great show. At some point I would love to also check out his Cinna if I am lucky enough.
Kyerron Dixon-Bassey as Cinna
The second cover for a main character I saw was Kyerron as Cinna (as Nathan Ives-Moiba was out of the show that day). I’m pretty sure I saw him last time covering Thresh and saw him as Thresh in my second show this trip as well. It’s always fun seeing the same actor in different roles, it messes with your head in a fun way. If I’m not mistaken, I saw his second ever show as Cinna as he premiered in this role the same day in the Matinee performance. In my opinion he did a fantastic job, especially taking into account that he did not have much experience in this role. I think he was a bit softer than Nathan in some scenes with Katniss which I really liked, but at times he was missing a bit of the authority and presence Cinna is supposed to have in my opinion. This might have been because he was probably very nervous on this day and because he appears much younger as Cinna than Nathan does (not surprising considering he also covers Gale and Thresh). I think in time he will find his own Cinna and will appear a bit more confidently. Nonetheless he gave a really good performance and I enjoyed seeing a softer version of the character.
Redmand Rance as Gale and as Peeta
With Tristan Waterson out of the first show and Euan Garrett out of the second I was lucky enough to see Redmand in not one but two leading roles on this trip. Talking about messing with my head, but in the most fun way haha.
In my first show I had the pleasure of seeing Redmand as Gale. His Gale was the softest and most understanding version of Gale I have seen until now. His Gale was quite lovable and almost soft. You could see that Redmand is an actor who really thinks about the small choices in every scene and really took the time to plan his interpretation ahead of time, which I really loved about him. As much as I loved him as an actor I personally think he wasn’t the best fit for Gale. It was very interesting to see a very soft and more likable version of the character, but it didn’t really feel like Gale to me. Gale is more headstrong in my opinion and Tristan did fit better to the role. Redmand felt more like Peeta to me in the first show which made me much more excited to have a chance to see his Peeta in my second show.
And what can I say… his Peeta was absolutely amazing, my feeling about him in my first show did not betray me. I loved how thoughtful, soft and strong his Peeta was, and he had great chemistry with Mia’s Katniss. In contrast to Euan’s Peeta Redmand was more cautious in act 1 and it was more believable that Katniss thought he might be a thread (although at the same time less funny). His Peeta was more reserved and calmer, which is something I also loved about the book version. Peeta was always Katniss’s rock and he was always strong for her. His love confession in act 2 was also very sweet although no one can beat Euan’s Peeta being in love with Katniss (Euan’s Peeta is gone for good haha). I think I really loved the emotional strength, the steadiness and the softness from Redmand’s Peeta and the sass and the absolute devotion to Katniss from Euan’s Peeta. They are both brilliant in their own way and highlight different aspects from book Peeta.
Lewis Easter as Caesar Flickerman
For my second show I also had the pleasure of seeing Lewis as Caesar Flickerman after already seeing Stavros Demetraki in my first one this trip and my last trip. As I said in my last review, I think Stavros plays Caesar very entertaining and he really knows how to play to the crowd, but he was a little bit too obviously mean to be really book accurate in my opinion. I think Lewis’ Caesar was way more likeable and gave a very entertaining sort of flamboyant version of Caesar, which I really enjoyed. His Caesar is still sort of a horrible person, but much better at hiding it than Stavros’ Caesar. In my opinion it worked a bit better with the story as the capitol audience is supposed to be fooled and Lewis was better at switching between being off camera and on camera. In the books Katniss describes Caesar as genuinely trying to help the tributes so I think Lewis nailed that a bit better. They both are very good at playing to the crowd and were so much fun to watch. Both really bring the much-needed moments of laughter to a story like the hunger games which can get quite depressing.
Tributes
In both shows, especially in the first one, there were so many understudies on for various tributes. I don’t really want to go into detail for each tribute as this review would be way too long, but I must say I really love how everyone always gives it their best to step into all of these different roles, it really is impressive.
I also must mention and applaud the actors for my first show who had to switch their characters in the interval between act 1 and 2. I think Aiya, who is the principal Rue, had to step out of the show and could not do the second act. Very impressively after a longer interval than usual Geo Bailey stepped in as Rue in act 2 previously playing Fossa which led to multiple female ensemble member having to switch their role (namely Kiera Milward, Imogen Brooke and Artemis Stamouli as far as I could notice). Moments like these show that understudies and swings really are the unsung heroes of live theatre and I just want to give a massive shout out for these actors for literally saving the show. Switching your character mid show really can’t be easy.
Cast in general
After talking about so many amazing understudies I can’t write this review without also mentioning how absolutely amazing the principal cast members were once again and just how amazing this cast really is. Massive shoutout to Mia playing Katniss for me in both shows, seeing her acting up close really is something else. She really is a remarkable young actress and a fantastic Katniss who does carry the show on her shoulders.
I also must especially mention just how amazing Joshua (Haymitch), Euan (Peeta) and Tamsin (Effie) are after having the pleasure of seeing their performance again. I really fell in love with their versions and interpretations of their characters.
This entire cast is so dedicated to this show and you can tell how much passion and work all these actors put into telling this story. Every single actor I have seen really gave 100% and I just want to give a massive shoutout to this cast (I will not repeat my thoughts about Snow here…).
I can’t wait to see the show again with this cast and maybe see some more wonderful versions of different characters. I would especially be interested in seeing a different Katniss or Effie in the future, but you never know.
Overall thoughts
After seeing the show multiple times now with multiple (technical or other) errors (which is very normal for a live show on this scale) I can really appreciate how technically complex and grand this production is and how much effort it takes to make it work every show. The special effects are still breathtaking (Similar to Stranger things the first shadow) and the choreographed fighting scenes are so well executed and impressive.
Although not perfect the script really tries to stay close to the book and I really appreciate seeing scenes come to live from the book that were not in the movie. I also really loved that they found a way to include Katniss’ inner monologue as it is such a crucial part for understanding her character. Rewatching the show now I can really appreciate how much her inner thoughts changed the essence and the feeling of the show.
I can now also appreciate the cast even more and how much they give every single performance. The show is very physically and emotionally demanding while also being very technically complex. It’s one of the more demanding plays for actors to do at the West End right now and everyone’s effort is really impressive. The performances alone are a reason to see the show again.
There were still some aspects and scenes I did not fully enjoy, for example the staging of the blood bath (I still don’t like the choreography and it is just way too long) or specific costumes mainly Katniss’s interview dress or some specific lines in the script. As I am now literally obsessed with the book it’s of course sad that some characters had to be cut, some story aspects had to be shortened/cut and some aspects had to be changed, but I do think they did a good job keeping the crucial parts of the story without losing too much of the essence of the book. I still highly disliked anything President Snow, not much has changed here from my last review. In my opinion the good outweighs the bad though and I can still love this play despite its flaws. I don’t think any perfect book adaptation of any story exists to be honest.
Like in my last review I can’t recommend this show enough to anyone who is a big Hunger Games fan and interested in seeing a different version of the story in a more theatrical (and more artistic less realistic) way. I know this play and some choices in it are not to everyone’s taste and I don’t claim that it is a perfect adaptation, but I do think it is a very good adaptation and worth seeing for open-minded people who like theatre staging (and dancing) and acting. Whether the adaptation works for you personally or not is of course up to taste and it is perfectly fine to dislike aspects of the show. But I do encourage people to go into the show with an open mind and give it a fair chance despite a lot of negative reviews online and make up their own mind about it (if you can afford to go, it is sadly not a cheap experience).
As a theatre fan myself I really do love this play and will certainly come back again until October if possible.
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