8 / 10
If Game of Thrones: The Mad King is not quite an unmitigated triumph, it’s still a must-see show (and, surely, this sold-out run will not be its last). That a production as demanding, on both sides of the fourth wall, can be funded and staged at all in 2026 is a tremendous shot in the arm for UK theatre itself.
9 / 10
The result is a three-and-a-half-hour epic, one of immense scale and ambition, beyond that of any theatre production I’ve seen. Every aspect is orchestrated to perfection, with impeccable choreography well beyond fight and dance scenes. The show is incredibly immersive, which was one of Cooke’s non-negotiable aspirations: the main characters are often standing, sitting and speaking from the stands, amid the seats, making the audience feel as if they were real spectators of the tournament and the war.
The Royal Shakespeare Company's stage adaptation of George R. R. Martin's Westeros saga will move to London following a sold-out run in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Watch the Royal Shakespeare Theatre transform ahead of Game of Thrones: The Mad King's world premiere stage production based on George R. R. Martin's saga.
The reviews are in for Royal Shakespeare Company's world premiere of George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones: The Mad King, a new play based on novels by George R. R. Martin. Read the reviews here!
New production photos are here for Game of Thrones: The Mad King, the RSC's world premiere play now running at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
With some reluctance, longtime fans of Game of Thrones have acknowledged that the novel series that inspired the era-defining HBO fantasy show – George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire – will likely never be finished, and the franchise will be chiefly remembered for its disappointing TV ending. The next best thing, then, is The Mad King, a play that attempts to resolve some of the series’ central mysteries, and put an end to many a heated Reddit debate.
The Royal Shakespeare Company's Game of Thrones: The Mad King remains on schedule to officially open next month despite canceling its first week of preview performances.
.gif?width=300)
