Game of Thrones: The Mad King (also marketed as George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones: The Mad King) is a stage play by Duncan Macmillan. It is a prequel to the epic high fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin and the first stage play adaptation in the Game of Thrones franchise.
Premise The play is set 10 years before A Game of Thrones, amidst a tournament at Harrenhal. Members of the inner circle of the titular "Mad King", Aerys II, plot against him, as fears grow about his accelerating ruthlessness.
Production history On 18 February 2026, it was announced that the play would be presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company, with its world premiere at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, directed by Dominic Cooke. Full casting was announced on 29 May 2026.
Previews were scheduled to begin on 20 July 2026, however the first weeks previews were cancelled, one with just a few hours notice. The official opening night was on 8 August and ran until 5 September.
On 4 September 2026, it was announced that the production will transfer to London in 2027, with full details including venue and dates to be confirmed.
Cast and characters +CharacterStratford-upon-Avon2026King Aerys II "The Mad King" TargaryenMichael ShaefferPrince Rhaegar TargaryenNoah RitterLord Robert BaratheonCallum WoodhouseEddard StarkMichael AbubakarLyanna StarkHarmony Rose-BremnerQueen Rhaella Targaryen / Lady Shella WhentMariah GaleCersei Lannister / Golda WhentDaisy FranksBrandon StarkLuke BradySer Jaime LannisterMaxim AysCatelyn StarkMarty BreenLord VarysHughie O’DonnellSer Jonothor Darry / Lord Tywin LannisterMarcello WaltonLord Rickard StarkAlexander NewlandPrince Oberyn MartellEdem-Ita DukePrincess Elia MartellElizabeth AyodeleAshara DayneTanisha SpringSer Arthur DayneKel MatsenaSer Gerold HightowerShaun Yusuf McKeeSer Barristan SelmyDaniel HawksfordGrand Maester PycelleRichard HansellLord Whent / Wisdom RossartTom LarkinBenjen StarkMiles BarrowHowland ReedIslam BouakkazSer Oswell WhentHuw ParmenterPrince Lewyn MartellAdrian ChristopherYorenLewis HowardOwen MerryweatherSebastian CharlesQarlton ChelstedFred Davis
Critical reception The play was strongly praised by the critics, especially the production. Sarah Crompton of WhatsOnStage gave the play five stars stating that it is "an extraordinary moment of theatre: a procession of rich coloured silks and fluttering banners, with kings and princes riding life sized armoured horses, heads tossing as they move, a scrappy dog silhouetted barking at the scene". Mark Lawson of The Guardian wrote, "This prequel to the TV series has one joust after another, spectacular stagecraft and plenty of modern resonance". Chris McPherson from Collider agreed saying, "The technical achievement is frequently jaw-dropping (...) The opening Targaryen procession will live long in the memory, as they cross the stage on their horses with ominous music playing". Alice Saville of The Independent rated the play four out of five stars and wrote, "As well as drawing on the ancient Classics, this story of ambitious, vengeful kings has serious shades of Shakespeare – with added dragons. It feels right on this in-the-round, Elizabethan-inspired stage".
However, not all aspects of the play were positively received. Despite giving the play four stars, Dominic Cavendish of The Telegraph said, "At almost four hours, it’s a long evening, sometimes too dense with detail, and it lacks the grit and gore (not to mention the nudity) of the TV series". The sentiment on the play's length was shared by McPherson stating, "It's an odd, paradoxical conundrum because, at approximately four hours, including an interval, The Mad King is too long and yet it feels rushed in that second half". In a scathing review by The Times, Clive Davis gave the play three stars and wrote, "This prequel to a blood-soaked dynastic saga wanders on for so long that it makes Christopher Nolan’s journey into Greek mythology seem a model of understatement (...) only the most dedicated of [the fans] will have the energy for this marathon".
External links
Official website
References