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Are you still smarting over the end of Game of Thrones? Or unsatisfied with the spin-offs? Britain’s Royal Shakespeare Company may have the answer to your woes.
It’s announced plans to stage Game of Thrones: The Mad King, a new play based on the novels by George R. R. Martin, adapted by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke.
The RSC says its stage is a natural home and the perfect setting for fans to reacquaint themselves with the houses of Targaryen, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon and Martell as Martin’s work was “Shakespearian in its scale and themes.”
The play, written by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke, will span the final years before the events of the novels and reveal a legendary chapter of Westeros history.
Executive Producer and creator George R. R. Martin said: “When I first wrote Game of Thrones, I never imagined that it would be anything other than a book. It was a place for my imagination to exist without limits. To my great surprise, it was adapted for a series and viewers have been able to enter the world of my imagination through the medium of television. For my work to now be adapted for the stage is something I did not expect but welcome with great enthusiasm and excitement. Theatre offers something unique. A place for mine and the audience’s imagination to meet and hopefully create something magical.”
Adaptor Duncan Macmillan and director Dominic Cooke said: “The play is a prequel, taking place over a decade before the events of Game of Thrones. A long winter has started to thaw and, for the first time in years, all the great houses come together for a tournament – destined to be the greatest of the age. It feels like a new dawn, full of hope and opportunity. But tournaments always have a darker purpose.
“It will be thrilling for us to share this new play with audiences, both those that know and love George’s books and HBO’s series, but also audiences who know nothing and want to come and experience something both beautifully intimate and truly epic.”
Game of Thrones: The Mad King will have its world premiere at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in Summer 2026.
Additional sources • Royal Shakespeare Company
