Earlier this year, we learned that the next Game of Thrones adaptation will take place on stage. Author George R.R. Martin is collaborating with theatre veteran Dominic Cooke and award-winning playwright Duncan Macmillan for The Mad King, which premieres at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, on Monday, July 20, and runs through Saturday, September 5.
Set 15 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the story takes place during a jousting tournament in Harrenhal. Ned Stark, his sister Lyanna, Jamie Lannister, and Robert Baratheon are the main characters, and The Mad King will explore Lyanna's budding romance with Rhaegar Targaryen, the son of Aerys, the titular Mad King.
Their meeting would lead to the birth of Jon Snow, while younger versions of Varys and a few other familiar faces will also appear in minor roles.
Martin has shared a first look at teaser art (via SFFGazette.com) for the show and wrote, "Wars aren’t won by those with most cause, but whose story’s best told. Join us at the Tournament of Harrenhal!" It's also been confirmed that tickets are now officially on sale.
We also have a brief new synopsis for Game of Thrones: The Mad King. "A sweeping new stage epic from the world of George R. R. Martin, scripted by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke," it reveals. "Spanning the final years before the events of the novels, this powerful drama reveals a legendary chapter of Westerosi history."
Following its run in Stratford-upon-Avon, the play may move to London's Gillian Lynne Theatre. That will likely hinge on ticket sales and reviews, but based on the success of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, it's a little surprising that it's taken this long for Westeros to head to the stage.
The cast hasn't been announced yet, but the creative team includes puppetry and movement directors Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell of Lume; set designer Chloe Lamford; costume designer Georgia McGuinness; lighting designer Jon Clark; composer Will Stuart; and sound designer Tom Gibbons. Casting is by Amy Ball, CDG.
Further credits include voice and text by Jeannette Nelson, dialect by Hazel Holder, associate director Emily Raymond, associate puppetry and movement by Scarlet Wilderink, period dance consultant Francesca Roche, creative consultant Ti Mikkel, associate set designer Machiko Weston, associate costume designer Alex Berry, associate sound designer Alex Twiselton and assistant director Lenore Gallegos.
Game of Thrones: The Mad King has been billed as "a sweeping stage epic that brings to life a legendary chapter of the history of Westeros." It's said the theatre will be configured in a way that "[places] audiences at the heart of the action."
Stay tuned for updates on Game of Thrones: The Mad King as we have them.