Game of Thrones play to open in the UK this summer

A new play based on fantasy series Game of Thrones is set to open in Stratford-upon-Avon this summer, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has announced.

Game of Thrones: The Mad King, which is being made in association with broadcast network HBO, will be set 10 years before the events of the original books and TV series.

The stage prequel will tell an original story, based on new material from author and executive producer George RR Martin.

In a statement, Martin said he had welcomed the stage adaptation "with great enthusiasm and excitement", adding that it will be "thrilling to watch the events of this new play unfold in a live environment".

The show will premiere at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in the famous Bard's Warwickshire hometown in the summer, with tickets going on sale in April.

The RSC said there was an artistic and creative lineage from Shakespeare through to the writers he has directly inspired in the present day, including Martin.

"For me, the RSC was the obvious choice when thinking about putting a Game of Thrones story on the stage," Martin said in a statement.

"Shakespeare is the greatest name in English literature, and his plays have been a constant source of inspiration to me and my writing. Not only that, he faced similar challenges in how to put a battle on stage, so we are in good company."

The author added: "Theatre offers something unique. A place for mine and the audience's imagination to meet and hopefully create something magical."

What will the storyline be?

The play is being adapted by Duncan Macmillan, whose credits include People, Places, Things, and directed by Dominic Cooke, who will become artistic director of London's Almeida Theatre later this year.

Outlining the show's plot, the pair said: "A long winter has started to thaw and, for the first time in years, all the great houses come together for a tournament - destined to be the greatest of the age.

"It feels like a new dawn, full of hope and opportunity. But tournaments always have a darker purpose."

Listing information for the show published by the RSC adds: "At a lavish banquet on the eve of a jousting tournament, lovers meet and revellers speculate about who will contend.

"But in the shadows, amid growing unease at the blood-thirsty actions of the realm's merciless Mad King, dissenters from his inner circle anxiously advance a treasonous plot. Far away, the drums of battle sound.

"Family bonds, ancient prophecies, and the sacred line of succession will be tested in a dangerous campaign for power. Who will survive? Who will rise?"

Cooke and Macmillan described Martin's storytelling as "Shakespearean in its scale and its themes - dynastic struggle, ambition, rebellion, madness, prophecy, ill-fated love.

"From the beginning, Shakespeare's histories and tragedies have been our primary reference for the ambition of this production, so the RSC feels like a natural home."

Martin warmly endorsed Macmillan's adaptation, commenting: "Duncan's masterful script honours the world completely."

Set in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the continent of Essos, Game of Thrones featured one of the largest ensemble casts in television.

The show helped boost or launch the careers of stars including Jason Momoa, Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Richard Madden, Sophie Turner and Gwendoline Christie.

The neo-medieval series aired from 2011 to 2019, developing a hugely dedicated following and winning 59 Emmy Awards throughout its run.

Since the show's conclusion in 2019, there have been several attempts to capitalise on the popularity of the franchise, with a touring exhibition as well two TV spin-offs.

Prequel series House of the Dragon began in 2022. It has been popular with viewers and was recommissioned for a second and third series, although was not as successful as the original Game of Thrones.

Another spin-off, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, adapted from a series of novellas written by Martin, launched last month.