The Hunger Games: On Stage production runs on STOBER

(See STOBER UK at MachineBuilding.Live, 14 October 2026, on stand 112)

Martin Radmall is the co-founder of Smart-Axis. Radmall and his team deliver stage engineering for live events, TV, film, exhibitions and festivals. "We make projects lift, shift, twist and turn," he explains.

"When we won the contract to be a supplier to The Hunger Games: On Stage, I contacted Martin Preece, Head of UK Subsidiary for STOBER. I have worked with him on previous entertainment projects and knew he and STOBER would be able to meet our very specific requirements; and I wasn't wrong," states Radmall.

The project

With the aim of re-imagining Suzanne Collins' bestselling novel and Lionsgate's $3 billion film franchise into a live, in-the-round arena experience, The Hunger Games: On Stage had its world premiere at the 1,200 seat Troubadour Canary Wharf theatre in November 2025.

The 26 million Troubadour Canary Wharf theatre is a state-of-the art venue that was purpose built in just six months with the objective of staging a fully immersive production for audiences. Adapted by Olivier Award winning playwright, Conor McPherson, and directed by Matthew Dunster, the production features breathtaking aerial display, live fire effects, LED walls and an arena-style configuration that positions spectators at the heart of the Games themselves.

Explains Martin Preece: "The Troubadour was specifically designed to incorporate all these show-stopping elements and seating blocks for the arena, named after 'districts', were where Smart-Axis and STOBER came in. The production team wanted the 'districts' to be moving sections of seating around a huge stage on which performers would fight both on the floor and also in the air at 90 degrees to the walls."

The challenge

Outlines Martin Radmall: "One of the first challenges we had to overcome was that the actual design of the theatre building itself changed whilst we were in the design and build stage. This imposed tight space constraints compared to the initial concept, so we had to adapt and flex our design to ensure we could still deliver the same power and speed to provide the customer experience but in a somewhat tighter envelope.

"I contacted Martin on a few occasions to ask about the various gear technologies available from STOBER and discuss, for example, the best implementation to provide the smooth, quiet and trouble -free operation needed, but also now fitting into a much smaller space than we had previously anticipated. Every time he was entirely proactive and worked through our specific requests and, as ever, delivered options and discussions points for us to optimise the design into a 'Smart solution'.

"Our main project focus was the seating blocks, each one weighing 26 tonnes and seating 112 people. Whilst each block had to move on demand, the production team did not want the people sitting in the block to realise they were moving. That's no mean feat and, since the 'districts' are a key element of the show, every element of the engineering had to be smooth, seamless and, of course, safe.

"The engineering that went into the seating blocks was critical which is why we chose STOBER to supply a variety of gearboxes. STOBER's gearboxes worked in conjunction with several drives to move audience members seated in the 'districts' effortlessly in a smooth, gliding motion that was silent."

The solution

States Martin Preece: "Our brief was to help Smart-Axis to size and select servo gearboxes that would fit into space-restricted areas under the seating blocks. Their main application was in districts 1 and 2 and their operation had to be silent in order not to disrupt the suspense and magical illusion of the production. This demanded strong and powerful components because, on opening night, and beyond, there was no room for failure - the show must go on!

"Martin was also able to utilise our STOBER Configurator during the design process to easily produce product data sheets and drawing files as required."

The STOBER components supplied were:

• 8 x K-Series helical bevel gearboxes for four seating bank drive systems that are capable of moving the incredible 26,000kg dynamic load and positioning the audience at the heart of the production. The 8m x 3.6m main lift was engineered for ultimate reliability and safety with every part of the system designed to perform at the very highest level.
• 8 x helical bevel gearboxes and right-angle gearboxes, size 1-4 were included in the 8m x 3.7m drop & slide mechanism, built for speed and seamless integration, and four perimeter lifts one at each corner of the 'main contender zone' - and further drop and slides engineered to EN17206.

Continues Martin: "Selecting STOBER gearboxes for the project offered several benefits to Smart-Axis. The units feature single-cast housing which provides exceptional torsional rigidity and durability, ideal for the loads involved they were required to move. A wide range of housing designs in also available to facilitate flexible mounting options for the various installation scenarios demanded.

"At the same time, the outstanding quality of the helical gearing ensures quiet operation and high efficiency. Obviously, the last thing that both Martin and the stage production team wanted was a noisy, clunky seating bank that broke down every night - not on our watch!"

Technical specifications for the helical bevel gearboxes used include:

• Total ratio: 4-381
• Allowed acceleration torque: 50-13,200 Nm
• Backlash: 1.5-12 arcmin
• Efficiency: 94-97 %

"The fact that Martin, and STOBER, we able to support the various changes we encountered was extremely beneficial to the overall success of this project for us," comments Martin Radmall.

"STOBER was always able to provide an answer and a solution which is exactly what we need from our suppliers. At the same time, we know that STOBER products are both reliable and compliant. As a specialist contractor of our type to the entertainment industry, we must be compliant to a variety of European safety standards and codes. Of course, safety is paramount and STOBER more than understand this.

"Lead times were also short and were met and, in one case, exceeded which ensured our work was always on track and that reflected well on the Smart-Axis team as a whole."