The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has officially confirmed the dates and venue for the highly anticipated world premiere of Game of Thrones: The Mad King.
This sweeping stage prequel, based on the acclaimed world created by George R. R. Martin, will run for a strictly limited season at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from 20 July to 5 September 2026.
Public booking for this landmark production will open on 22 April 2026.
Read more about Game of Thrones: The Mad King here.
A bold new configuration
For this production, the RSC’s flagship theatre – the Royal Shakespeare Theatre – will undergo a dramatic transformation. Co-Artistic Directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey revealed that the venue will be presented in a “bold new configuration,” placing the audience at the very heart of the Westeros intrigue.
“Audiences will find themselves immersed in the theatrical spectacle that promises to make this production truly epic,” Evans and Harvey commented. “It’s an ambitious and exhilarating collaboration, and we can’t wait to welcome audiences into this extraordinary experience.”
The creators of Game of Thrones on stage
The new play is adapted by award-winner Duncan Macmillan (People, Places and Things), and directed by new Almeida Theatre artistic director Dominic Cooke (Good, Follies, The Hollow Crown).
The wider creative team will include puppetry and movement by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell of Lume, set design by Chloe Lamford, and costume design by Georgia McGuinness. There will also be a Period Dance Consultant (Francesca Roche).
While the production is currently set for its Stratford-upon-Avon premiere, industry speculation is already rife regarding a potential West End transfer following the RSC run, though no official details have been confirmed.
Sir Leonard Blavatnik and Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment, owners of the West End’s Theatre Royal Haymarket, are co-producers of the show, alongside Simon Painter, Tim Lawson, Mark Manuel, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures on behalf of HBO.
Game of Thrones: The Mad King. George RR Martin. Photo via RSC
A new stage prequel
Set over a decade before the events of the original Game of Thrones novels and TV series, the play focuses on a pivotal chapter in the history of the Seven Kingdoms.
As a long winter begins to thaw, the Great Houses – including Targaryen, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, and Martell – gather for a grand tournament destined to be the greatest of the age. While the realm feels poised for a new dawn of hope and opportunity, the gathering holds a much darker purpose that will eventually lead to the fall of the Mad King.
More about Game of Thrones: The Mad King
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