The RSC has announced a major new stage adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s world, with Game of Thrones: The Mad King opening at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The production is adapted by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke.
The play will premiere in summer 2026. Priority booking opens on 14 April 2026, with public booking to be confirmed the same month. Early booking access is available via rsc.org.uk/join.
Set in the years before the events of Martin’s novels, the play introduces audiences to a Westeros on the brink. A long winter is beginning to thaw, with lords and families gathering for a lavish tournament at Harrenhal. In the darkness, dissent grows against the realm’s feared Mad King as loyalties fracture and a treasonous plot takes shape. The action spans the great houses of Targaryen, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon and Martell.
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.
“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.”
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.
“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.”
RSC Co-Artistic Directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey 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 obo HBO and Sir Leonard Blavatnik and Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment.
More information can be found here.
