Royal Shakespeare Company to stage Game of Thrones prequel play this summer

In Brief

The Royal Shakespeare Company will stage Game of Thrones prequel The Mad King in summer 2024.

Key Facts

• The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) will stage a new Game of Thrones prequel play this summer
• The play is titled Game of Thrones: The Mad King
• The story is set 10 years before the events of the original books and TV series
• George RR Martin said the RSC was the 'obvious choice' to put on the play
• The play will open in Stratford-upon-Avon after the spring season

What Happened

The Royal Shakespeare Company announced it will stage a new Game of Thrones prequel play called The Mad King during the summer of 2024. The story is set a decade before the original series and will open in Stratford-upon-Avon following the spring season. George RR Martin described the RSC as the 'obvious choice' to produce the play, according to The Guardian.

Why It Matters

The staging of this play represents an expansion of the Game of Thrones franchise into live theatre. The involvement of the Royal Shakespeare Company may attract audiences familiar with both the theatre company and the original series. Some may view this as an opportunity to explore the franchise's backstory in a new format, while others may have differing opinions on the adaptation.