WHO IS MIA CARRAGHER? FOOTBALL ICON’S DAUGHTER CAST AS NEW KATNISS EVERDEEN
The Hunger Games franchise is expanding its horizons as it moves to the theatre stage in London later this year.
The first-ever theatre adaptation of the iconic books and movie series will arrive in London at the brand-new state of the art venue, Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre, located in the heart of the city.
Based on the original ‘Hunger Games’ story by Suzanne Collins, the well-known gripping tale follows the fearless heroine Katniss Everdeen as she shows courage and defiance to become a beacon of rebellion and hope in a bleak world.
The iconic character will be portrayed on the London stage by Mia Carragher, an up and coming 21-year-old actress from Liverpool.
Mia is the daughter of Liverpool football legend Jamie Carragher.
She was technically briefly on CBS Sports earlier this year when Jamie answered a phone call from her during the live football punditry show.
Jamie revealed that Mia was asking where her mother was and the Liverpool icon replied: ‘I don’t know, I am in London babe.’
Presenter Kate Abdo encouraged her colleague to put Mia on loud speaker and fellow pundit Micah Richards jokingly accused her of interrupting the show and costing them an Emmy Award.
Mia responded: ‘Oh my God, I am so sorry. I didn’t have a clue (he was on live TV).’
As CBS Sports is only available in the United States, Jamie joked: ‘Are you not putting the dodgy box on?’
Mia remarked that her dad was ‘lovely’ back at home and Jamie said: ‘I love you more than anything my girl. What a star.’
He also told the panel: ‘There is nothing this girl can ever do wrong, I can never shout at her.’
As he hung up the phone she said ‘I love you’ to her dad and the rest of the CBS Sports team went ‘aww’ collectively.
Mia’s older brother James is another Carragher making strides away from home as a professional footballer for League One club Wigan Athletic.
Despite also being born in Liverpool, James represents Malta on the international stage after being awarded Maltese citizenship earlier this year.
The 22-year-old qualifies for Malta via his and Mia’s paternal grandfather, with their dad also getting the citizenship.
Mia graduated from England’s Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in 2022 and also studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.
She has previously starred in the film ‘One Night in Istanbul’ and Channel 4’s ‘The Gathering’.
Mia was recorded practicing her archery and stunt work in a video shared on the Hunger Games: On Stage Instagram account.
In the video, Mia said: ‘I’m really excited to play Katniss. I relate to her quite a lot.
‘I think she’s very fearless, but then she’s also got that nurturing quality about her.
‘Everyone needs to come and watch The Hunger Games: On Stage because it’s going to be like nothing you have ever seen.
‘It’s going to be an amazing experience, amazing sets, such cool costumes and I don’t think many people know, but there’s going to be a new theatre built just for this show in Canary Wharf, so you should be there.’
Multi award-winning playwright Conor McPherson and Director Matthew Dunster are in charge of bringing the powerful story to life on stage, with the use of ‘extraordinary stunts and illusions’.
Matthew Dunster heaped praise on Mia for filling the complex requirements needed to portray a character like Katniss Everdeen.
He said: ‘We searched far and wide, and comprehensively, for our Katniss. It is not easy to step into Suzanne Collins’s amazing creation and only one actor combined Katniss’s charisma and combat skills – her quiet, tough determination and her brilliant creativity, athleticism, and humour.
‘We’ve found our Katniss in Mia Carragher, and we can’t wait for audiences to see her.’
The new theatre will seat 1200 spectators, who will ‘feel a part of the action in this dynamic round arena, developed with blockbuster entertainment in mind’.
The Hunger Games: On Stage gets underway on October 20 with standard tickets starting at £60 and premium tickets from £125.
