Overview
- The Royal Shakespeare Company unveiled a 36‑strong cast and full creative team on Friday, May 29, 2026, for the world premiere of Game of Thrones: The Mad King.
- The play, adapted by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke with George R. R. Martin as executive producer, will open at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre on August 8 and run through September 5, 2026.
- Casting includes Michael Shaeffer as King Aerys II, Michael Abubakar as Eddard Stark, Noah Ritter as Prince Rhaegar, Harmony Rose‑Bremner as Lyanna Stark, Maxim Ays as Jaime Lannister, Daisy Franks as Cersei Lannister, and Callum Woodhouse as Robert Baratheon.
- The announced creative team features specialist roles—puppetry and movement directors Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, fight director Bethan Clark, intimacy director Ingrid Mackinnon, and lead designers—indicating complex staging and physical work.
- Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, HBO and Access Entertainment are co‑producers, and RSC notes that opening‑week performances are already sold out, which may shape future extensions or transfers.