Royal Shakespeare Company Announces Epic Game of Thrones Stage Adaptation
The Royal Shakespeare Company has revealed plans to bring the world of Westeros to the stage with a major theatrical production of a Game of Thrones prequel. The play, titled Game of Thrones: The Mad King, will premiere this summer at the RSC's headquarters in Stratford-upon-Avon, marking a significant crossover between blockbuster fantasy and classical theatre traditions.
Author's Shakespearean Inspiration
Bestselling author George RR Martin, whose A Song of Ice and Fire novels spawned the global television phenomenon, expressed particular enthusiasm for the RSC's involvement. "The Royal Shakespeare Company was the obvious choice," Martin declared, noting that Shakespeare has been a constant source of inspiration throughout his writing career. "Not only that, he faced similar challenges in how to put a battle on stage. So we are in good company."
Martin, who will serve as executive producer for the production, has already visited the RSC's Stratford facilities and reportedly enjoyed exploring the company's armoury department. The author reflected on the unexpected journey of his creation: "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 television series, and viewers have been able to enter the world of my imagination through that medium. For my work to now be adapted for the stage is something I did not expect but welcome with great enthusiasm and excitement."
Creative Team and Production Details
The theatrical adaptation has been in development since 2021, with adapter Duncan Macmillan and director Dominic Cooke collaborating on the project. Both creatives emphasized the Shakespearean qualities inherent in Martin's storytelling. "George's storytelling is Shakespearean in its scale and its themes: dynastic struggle, ambition, rebellion, madness, prophecy, ill-fated love," they stated in a joint announcement. "From the beginning, Shakespeare's histories and tragedies have been our primary reference for the ambition of this production, so the RSC feels like a natural home."
The play will be staged in the RSC's main auditorium, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, which accommodates just over 1,000 audience members. While casting details and specific performance dates remain unannounced, tickets are scheduled to become available from April. The production represents a significant undertaking for the RSC, which has recently faced financial challenges requiring workforce reductions and operational savings.
Story and Historical Connections
The Mad King is set approximately a decade before the events depicted in the original Game of Thrones narrative. The play will feature familiar characters from prominent Westerosi houses including Targaryen, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, and Martell. According to promotional materials, the story unfolds as "a long winter thaws in Harrenhal, and spring is promised." The narrative centers on a lavish banquet preceding a jousting tournament, where "lovers meet and revellers speculate about who will contend." Meanwhile, "in the shadows, amid growing unease at the bloodthirsty actions of the realm's merciless Mad King, dissenters from his inner circle anxiously advance a treasonous plot."
RSC co-artistic directors Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans, who assumed their roles in 2023, noted the thematic continuity between Shakespeare's works and Martin's creation. They observed that the play's "epic cycle of warring families sits in a continuum with Shakespeare's history cycles" and will explore "the true nature of authority through the lens of young people grappling with inherited identities."
Broader Context and Industry Significance
The production continues a trend of major theatrical adaptations of popular intellectual properties, following the RSC's successful staging of Studio Ghibli's My Neighbour Totoro, which transferred from the Barbican to London's West End. The company hopes to attract new audiences through this high-profile franchise adaptation while honoring its classical roots.
Notably, several actors from the Game of Thrones television series have previous connections to the RSC, including Julian Glover, Diana Rigg, Sean Bean, Charles Dance, and Iain Glen, all of whom performed with the company earlier in their careers. This historical connection underscores the natural fit between Martin's epic fantasy and Shakespearean theatrical traditions.
Macmillan and Cooke expressed their anticipation for sharing the production with diverse audiences: "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."
The announcement comes as Game of Thrones continues to expand across media platforms, with television prequels House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms already in production or development. The RSC's stage adaptation represents a new frontier for the franchise, bringing Martin's intricate political dramas and complex characters into the intimate yet expansive realm of live theatre.
