Friends, nerds, countrymen, lend us your ears — Westeros is relocating to Stratford-upon-Avon! As the brilliant and brutal world of Game Of Thrones continues to flourish on screen with House Of The Dragon and A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms (yes, we’re still reeling from ‘In The Name Of The Mother’, too), George R. R. Martin’s universe has set a course for the Warwickshire stage. Per Variety’s reporting, The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced it is to world premiere Game Of Thrones: The Mad King this summer, a prequel play set a decade before the events of Martin’s A Song Of Ice & Fire books.
Adapted by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke, who previously helmed both The Courier and On Chesil Beach on-screen, The Mad King — on which Martin serves as executive producer and credited creator — is set to feature Targaryens, Starks, Lannisters, Baratheons, and Martells in a story penned for the stage. The official synopsis reads: “A long winter thaws in Harrenhal, and spring is promised. At a lavish banquet on the eve of a jousting tournament, lovers meet and revellers speculate about who will contend. But in the shadows, amid growing unease at the blood-thirsty actions of the realm’s merciless Mad King, dissenters from his inner circle anxiously advance a treasonous plot. Far away, the drums of battle sound.”
In a statement accompanying The Mad King’s announcement, Martin shared his enthusiasm for Macmillan, Cooke, and the RSC’s production, writing: “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 honors 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 theater.”
We don’t yet know when Game Of Thrones: The Mad King will have its opening night, nor who’s set to star in the production. But while we wait to climb the chaos ladder that is navigating the ticketing system for an in-demand theatre production, we’ve no shortage of Thronesian pleasures to look forward to yet. One more half-hour with Dunk and Egg awaits in AKOTSK’s season finale this week coming, and we’re set to get our first House Of The Dragon Season 3 teaser trailer tomorrow. But until then, we shall exit, pursued by a (little) Bear…