The world of Westeros has arrived in Shakespeare’s home town, with the first ever Game of Thrones stage play officially opening at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.
George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones: The Mad King had its official opening night on Saturday, 8 August, following previews, and will run in Stratford until 5 September.
The production is a world premiere and the first stage play to emerge from Martin’s hugely successful fantasy series, bringing the houses of Targaryen, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon and Martell to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s main stage.
It represents a major coup for Stratford, with the production opening at the RSC rather than in London or New York, and comes with a fitting connection to the town’s most famous son.
Martin has previously spoken about the influence of Shakespeare and the Wars of the Roses on the world he created, while the new production explores many of the same themes of power, succession, family rivalry and conflict found in Shakespeare’s history plays.
The play, adapted by award-winning playwright Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke, is set during the turbulent final years before the events depicted in Martin’s novels.
It begins as a long winter is ending at Harrenhal, where the great houses of Westeros have gathered for a banquet and jousting tournament. Behind the festivities, however, opposition is growing to the increasingly violent rule of King Aerys II Targaryen, remembered by fans as the Mad King.
Director, Dominic Cooke said:
“I’m very lucky to be working alongside such a talented group of artists on this show. The creative team and cast are exceptional and we’re super excited to bring Duncan Macmillan’s brilliant script and George R. R. Martin’s vivid imaginative world to life on stage. I’m delighted to return to the RSC, backed by their dedicated team, and I can’t wait to share our epic show with audiences in Stratford this summer”.
Executive Producer and Creator George R. R. Martin added:
“I love this cast – they bring all the strengths, flaws and intricacies within these characters that drive this important chapter of Westerosi history. They have a fire in them, and I can’t wait to see them bring that fire to the stage.”
The story brings younger versions of some of the best-known Game of Thrones characters to the stage, alongside figures whose actions shaped the events that followed.
Michael Shaeffer plays Aerys II Targaryen, with Noah Ritter as his son, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. Harmony Rose-Bremner plays Lyanna Stark, Michael Abubakar takes the role of Eddard “Ned” Stark, Maxim Ays appears as Jaime Lannister and Callum Woodhouse plays Robert Baratheon.
The RSC announced a company of 36 performers for the production, underlining the scale of a show which has been years in development.
Martin has been closely involved with the project, which takes the extensive history behind his novels and turns events previously largely known as backstory into a drama in their own right.
The production centres on the political and personal events which eventually lead to Robert’s Rebellion, the conflict which toppled the Targaryen dynasty and established the world in which the original Game of Thrones story begins.
Its arrival in Stratford has attracted considerable national attention, with critics descending on the town for the official opening.
Early reviews have been largely positive, particularly about the scale and theatricality of the production. The Telegraph awarded the show four stars and described it as a “spellbinding spectacle”, while The Guardian also gave it four stars and praised its stagecraft.
Whatsonstage went further, awarding five stars and describing the production as a “triumph”, while The Independent gave it four stars. The Times was less enthusiastic, awarding three stars and questioning whether the lengthy production captured the atmosphere of its television counterpart.
The opening has also brought the creator of Westeros himself to Stratford-upon-Avon, with Martin attending the official opening night on Saturday.
The choice of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre is particularly appropriate given the parallels between Martin’s sprawling fictional history and Shakespeare’s chronicles of warring kings, ambitious nobles and rival dynasties.
RSC co-artistic director Tamara Harvey has previously highlighted those connections, pointing to the shared themes of power, love, succession and battles over who has the right to rule.
The production also marks an unusual meeting of two enormously influential storytelling worlds, with the fictional struggles of Westeros being staged by the company established in Shakespeare’s home town.
When the RSC first announced the production, it described The Mad King as a “sweeping new stage epic”, revealing a chapter of Westerosi history which takes place before the events familiar to television audiences.
The production is being co-produced by the RSC with Simon Painter, Tim Lawson, Mark Manuel, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures on behalf of HBO, and Sir Leonard Blavatnik and Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment.
For Stratford, its significance goes beyond the fictional Seven Kingdoms. One of the world’s biggest entertainment franchises has chosen the Royal Shakespeare Theatre for the world premiere of its first stage play, putting Shakespeare’s home town firmly in the international theatrical spotlight this summer.
Game of Thrones: The Mad King runs at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Saturday, 5 September.
Please click here for further information: https://www.rsc.org.uk/ticket-prices-discounts-offers/
Labour seeking ‘deeper relationship’ with EU under Burnham. Guardian politics- most read article