Overview
- The Royal Shakespeare Company officially opened Game of Thrones: The Mad King on Saturday, August 8, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.
- Producers canceled multiple previews in late July so creative and technical teams could finish complex fit-up and rehearsal work, and the RSC offered ticketholders refunds or rebooking for affected performances.
- The production runs about four hours, uses an in-the-round cross-shaped stage, a roughly 30–plus person cast, large puppets for horses and dragons, and elaborate costume and set design that increased technical demands.
- Reviews from national and trade outlets have been broadly positive, praising performances, visual design and staging while noting the play asks to be judged on theatrical terms rather than as a TV sequel.
- If the Stratford engagement maintains demand, industry sources say the show could transfer to commercial venues in London and possibly Broadway, though those moves remain unconfirmed.