Westeros

With Game of Thrones: The Mad Kingwell on its way after a somewhat delayed first performance, the Royal Shakespeare Company has sent out word that they have shared their first image of the primary cast in full costume. Featuring characters from the eponymous Mad King, Aerys I, to Eddard Stark, it gives us our best look yet at the costuming and the approach the show has taken to bring them to life. Absolutely love the lilac hue of Ashara’s gown, for example, and the elaborate styling of Queen Rhaella’s hair is incredible.

See the full press release that came with the image below!

Left to right, the portrait includes Tanisha Spring as Ashara Dayne, Elizabeth Ayodele as Princess Elia Martell, Mariah Gale as Queen Rhaella Targaryen, Callum Woodhouse as Lord Robert Baratheon, Michael Shaeffer as King Aerys II Targaryen, Harmony Rose-Bremner as Lyanna Stark, Luke Brady as Brandon Stark, Noah Ritter as Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Michael Abubakar as Eddard Stark.

An exclusive report from Whats on Stage features images released by the Royal Shakespeare Company during rehearsals for Game of Thrones: The Mad King, showing many of the cast… and showing, intriguingly, a sign directing “Horses” one way and “People” another (one of the images appears to explain why!) We’ve embedded the RSC’s post with images below.

What’s on Stage confirms remarks from the writer and director that while the play does center on the tourney at Harrenhal, it covers more ground than that, extending into the rebellion-proper (we’d guess as a final act or epilogue, perhaps?)

Actors Huw Parmenter and Kel Matsena as Ser Oswell Whent and Ser Arthur Dayne of the Kingsguard. Photo by Johan Persson.

The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced the full cast for the world premiere of Game of Thrones: The Mad King, the new stage play based on George R. R. Martin’s novels, adapted by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke.

The production will run at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from Monday 20 July to Saturday 5 September 2026, with official opening night on Saturday 8 August. Set in the final years before the events of the novels, the play promises to bring audiences face to face with familiar figures from Houses Targaryen, Stark, Lannister, Baratheon, and Martell.

Michael Shaeffer will play King Aerys II Targaryen. His long list of film and television credits includes Bodyguard, The Salisbury Poisonings, The ABC Murders, Chernobyl, Black Mirror, Game of Thrones, Kraven the Hunter, and Star Wars: Rogue One, where fans may remember him as General Corssin. This will be Shaeffer’s RSC debut.

Michael Shaeffer and the rest of the cast

Following February’s reveal that the renowned Royal Shakespeare Company would be putting on the world premiere of Game of Thrones: The Mad King at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, the RSC has now followed up with details including the names of additional creative team members, as well as ticket sale details and, most importantly, actual performance dates starting on July 20th with the official opening night being on August 8th.

Among the announcements in the press release are that a new seating configuration will be used to place the audience “at the very heart of the action — immersed in the intrigue and theatrical spectacle that promises to make this production truly epic,” as well as the fact that among the creatives are Puppetry and Movement heads Nick Barnes and Finn Cadwell (winners of the 2022 Olivier Award for their work on the theatrical Life of Pi).

Full details below!

Key art for Game of Thrones: The Mad King

After five years of gestation, the long-in-the-works theatrical production based on the events of the tourney at Harrenhal has come to fruition. Per the press release we just received:

See the rest of the press release below, but all we can say is wow. Incredibly exciting to finally see things come to fruition… and it explains, I think, why George spent a deal a time in the UK recently (well, that, and season 2 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms being under way).