Game of Thrones Play The Mad King Sets Summer 2026 Debut

The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced the world premiere of Game of Thrones: The Mad King, a new stage play based on the novels by George R.R. Martin.

The Mad King is set more than a decade before the events of the television series Game of Thrones and the A Song of Ice and Fire novels. The story will begin at the ruins of Harrenhal – at a very fateful tournament – that leads to political tension, rivalry and plotting, and the threat of war.

Martin said the stage adaptation marks an unexpected development for his work, stating, “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.”

Adapted by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke, the production will open at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in summer 2026.

Macmillan and Cooke described the production as a prequel set during a moment of renewed hope in Westeros, explaining: “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.”

They continued by highlighting the literary and theatrical influences behind the production, saying: “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.”

The production is co-produced with Simon Painter, Tim Lawson and Mark Manuel, alongside Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures on behalf of HBO, and Sir Leonard Blavatnik and Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment.