A new Game of Thrones stage play project is set to premiere next month. The update comes after several preview performances were unexpectedly canceled earlier this month, disappointing ticket holders. However, it will open sooner than expected, giving fans another opportunity to see it.
What is the new Game of Thrones project arriving next month?
The new project, titled Game of Thrones: The Mad King, is on track to open this month on July 25, 2026. It will then reopen on August 8, 2026, in the U.K., and will run till September 5. The play is taking place at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.
The Royal Shakespeare Company had originally planned to open the play on July 20. Out of five performances, four were canceled.
A representative of the RSC told Variety, “We can confirm that the RSC and our co-producers took the difficult decision to cancel preview performances of George R. R. Martin’s ‘Game of Thrones: The Mad King’ this week.”
He also stated that they were going ahead with the performance on Saturday, July 25, which will be followed by the August opening. He added. “The decision to delay the first preview was taken to allow the actors, creative and technical teams the additional time necessary to progress and refine the work in real time.”
The play is adapted by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke. It will be 4 hours long with a 20-minute interval. The story is based on the events that happened before George R. R. Martin‘s novels. It follows the great houses of Westeros as ambition, family bonds, and succession collide during the reign of the Mad King, King Aerys II Targaryen.
Michael Shaeffer will play the Mad King’s role. The cast also includes Noah Ritter as Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, Callum Woodhouse as Lord Robert Baratheon, Michael Abubakar as Eddard Stark, Daisy Franks as Cersei Lannister, and Maxim Ays as Ser Jaime Lannister.
