Game of Thrones Prequel Play: The Mad King to Premiere this Summer
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A major new stage play set in the world of *Game of Thrones* will receive its world premiere in the UK this summer. The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has announced that *Game of Thrones: The Mad King* will open at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in summer 2026.
The production is based on the novels of **George R. R. Martin** and is being created in association with HBO. It marks the first time the *Game of Thrones* universe will be realised on this scale for the stage.
Priority booking opens on 14 April 2026 through the RSC.
### **George R. R. Martin on Bringing Game of Thrones to the Stage**
**Martin** will serve as Executive Producer on the production and has provided new material for the stage adaptation.
He 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.
“For me, the RSC was the obvious choice when thinking about putting a *Game of Thrones* story on the stage. **Shakespeare** is the greatest name in English literature, and his plays have been a constant source of inspiration to me and my writing. Not only that, he faced similar challenges in how to put a battle on stage, so we are in good company. It will be thrilling to watch the events of this new play unfold in a live environment. **Duncan’**s masterful script honours the world completely, and I am so excited for both fans of the series, and perhaps people who have never picked up one of my books, to experience this new story in a theatre.”
### **What Is the Plot of Game of Thrones: The Mad King?**
*Game of Thrones: The Mad King* is a prequel set more than a decade before the events of the television series and the *A Song of Ice and Fire* novels. The drama begins at the ruins of Harrenhal, where a great tournament brings together the most powerful houses in Westeros.
Adaptor **Duncan Macmillan** and director **Dominic Cooke** describe the setting as a moment of fragile optimism:
“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.”
Behind the pageantry and celebration, political tensions simmer. Rivalries deepen. Dissent grows around the increasingly merciless Mad King. Treasonous plots take shape in the shadows as the threat of war looms over the Seven Kingdoms.
The production will feature familiar houses including Targaryen, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon and Martell, revealing a pivotal chapter of Westerosi history that helps shape the world audiences came to know in *Game of Thrones*.
### **How the Stage Prequel Connects to the Game of Thrones Universe**
Set firmly within the canon of **Martin**’s fantasy world, *The Mad King* expands on the dynastic conflicts that define the saga.
The original television series, which aired from 2011 to 2019, became one of the most successful dramas in history, winning 59 Emmy Awards and inspiring multiple spin-offs, including *House of the Dragon* and *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms*. This new stage prequel explores the roots of those conflicts — the power struggles, inherited identities and succession crises that ultimately destabilise the realm.
**Macmillan** and **Cooke** have emphasised the Shakespearean scale of the storytelling, drawing parallels between Westeros and the great history cycles of Shakespeare’s plays.
They said: “**George**’s storytelling is Shakespearean in its scale and its themes – dynastic struggle, ambition, rebellion, madness, prophecy, ill-fated love. 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.
"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.”
### **Creative Team and Production Details**
The play is adapted by **Duncan Macmillan**, whose previous credits include *Lungs, People, Places & Things* and *Every Brilliant Thing*. **Dominic Cooke,** who will become Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre, directs the production.
RSC Co-Artistic Directors **Daniel Evans** and **Tamara Harvey** highlighted the historical resonance of the project.
They said: “When we first read **Duncan**’s script, it was immediately apparent how this epic cycle of warring families sits in a continuum with Shakespeare’s history cycles. So it feels like an exciting and apposite marriage between the RSC and *Game of Thrones* universe.
“Stories of power, ambition and the complexities of succession are evergreen – and this adaptation explores the true nature of authority through the lens of young people grappling with inherited identities. The story will have all the epic qualities audiences would expect from Game of Thrones, but ultimately, it has a very human heart.”
*Game of Thrones: The Mad King* is co-produced with **Simon Painter, Tim Lawson, Mark Manuel**, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures on behalf of HBO and **Sir Leonard Blavatnik** and **Danny Cohen** for Access Entertainment.