Experiential entertainment is having a gold rush but commercial success is far from certain

As an immersive Hunger Games show opens in London, producers turn to bankable franchises, with mixed results

When the first ever stage adaptation of the global book and film franchise The Hunger Games opens its doors in London next week, fans paying up to 200 have been promised an electrifying" and immersive" experience.

The show at the purpose-built 1,200 seat Troubadour in Canary Wharf, which features Hollywood A-lister John Malkovich appearing via screen as the evil President Snow who oversees the televised spectacle of teenagers fighting to the death, is the latest in an explosion of launches looking to cash in on a boom in consumer demand for experiential entertainment, often linked to bankable franchises.