Seven years after the HBO series ended, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage production expands the universe once again.

*Game of Thrones: The Mad King *play sets premiere date

Seven years after the HBO series ended, the Royal Shakespeare Company's stage production expands the universe once again.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

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April 3, 2026 1:38 a.m. ET

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David Rintoul plays King Aerys II Targaryen on 'Game of Thrones'. Credit:

The* **Game of Thrones* universe expands again after *House of the Dragon* and *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms* with the play *Game of Thrones: The Mad King* coming very soon.

The theatrical production is set to debut July 20, with performances continuing through Aug. 5, the Royal Shakespeare Company announced Thursday.

"A long winter thaws in Harrenhal, and spring is promised," the institution teased on social media. "George R. R. Martin's *Game of Thrones: The Mad King* will play in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from 20 July to 5 September."

The company's official account promised, "In a bold new configuration of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, this show will play on a cross shaped stage — you'll be in the heart of the action."

Tickets aren't available until later this month, but there's already a warning on the company's website that tickets are expected to go fast: "Due to expected high demand, tickets are limited to 4 per person."

A scene from 'Game of Thrones' season 8, episode 4.

Helen Sloan/HBO

Audiences will see characters from the houses of Targaryen, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, and Martell.

Written by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke, the work is a prequel chronicling the last years of King Aerys II Targaryen — the Mad King of the title — who prompted Robert's Rebellion and paved the way for the main events of author George R.R. Martin's *A Song of Ice and Fire* series of books, upon which the show was based.

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As * *reported in February, Martin gave a statement when the play was announced.

"When I first wrote *Game of Thrones*, I never imagined that it would be anything other than a book. It was a place for my imagination to exist without limits," he said. "To my great surprise, it was adapted for a series and viewers have been able to enter the world of my imagination through the medium of television. For my work to now be adapted for the stage is something I did not expect but welcome with great enthusiasm and excitement. Theater offers something unique. A place for mine and the audience’s imagination to meet and hopefully create something magical."

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The *GOT *series aired on HBO for eight seasons, from 2011 to 2019, and starred Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harrington, Lena Heady, and Sophie Turner as part of an expansive ensemble cast.

The original show, which won a whopping 59 Emmys and a legion of fans, has produced more than one spin-off project, with prequels *House of the Dragon* and *A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms*, the stage play, and more in development.

Tickets for *Game of Thrones: The Mad King* are available April 22. Some supporters of the organization can book tickets beginning April 14.

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