Lightware Visual Engineering has supplied the video signal infrastructure for The Hunger Games: On Stage, the first live theatre adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ franchise, staged at the new Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre in London.
The 1,200-seat venue was purpose-built for the production, which uses immersive video as a central storytelling element. To support the large-scale LED deployment and complex signal workflows, the production team selected Lightware’s MX2 matrix switcher and Gemini GVN AVoIP platform.
The show’s video system was designed and delivered by ArtAV in collaboration with video designer Tal Rosner and senior video engineer Arthur Skinner. More than 130 sq m of Unilumin P3.9 DVLED was installed throughout the theatre, including large scenic structures known as the West Tower and East Tower, which integrate video directly into the performance space.
Additional display elements include a 38m ticker installed at floor level and a series of screens extending across the balcony, linking audience members to their assigned districts within the show narrative.
At the core of the signal distribution system is the Lightware MX2-8x8-DH4DPIO-A matrix switcher, used to manage 4K60 video distribution across the venue’s multiple LED surfaces. According to ArtAV managing director Nick Joyce, the system’s native DisplayPort support and full 4:4:4 colour processing were critical to maintaining image quality within such a visually driven production.
The Gemini GVN platform was deployed to support collaborative workflows during rehearsal and content production. A GVN-MMU-X100 Matrix Management Unit coordinates communication between 17 transmitters and 12 receivers, enabling remote access to media servers and workstations located backstage.
The setup allows animators and designers to switch between systems without relocating hardware, while visually lossless 4K60 4:4:4 transmission over 1GbE preserves detail in fast-moving content. The Dante-enabled version of Gemini also enabled flexible audio routing across workstations.
Joyce said the project was complicated by the fact the venue was still effectively under construction during installation, making simplified workflows and rapid deployment essential. Custom production desks connected through the Gemini system allowed the team to reduce cabling and maintain flexibility throughout rehearsals.
Since opening, the production team says the video infrastructure has delivered the reliability required for a technically demanding long-running show, with Lightware’s MX2 and Gemini systems forming the backbone of the installation.