Game of Thrones prequel earns four-star Royal Shakespeare Theatre review
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Georgina Brown's review of "Game of Thrones: The Mad King" at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre has confirmed the stage prequel as a hit, earning four stars for its pace, spectacle and echoes of Shakespearean tragedy. Written by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke, the production was a decade in development and sold out immediately upon announcement, reflecting the enduring popularity of the fantasy franchise. Brown found the drama accelerated dramatically after the interval, as romantic and political tensions came to a head amid power plays, love affairs and betrayal.
Running at three hours 45 minutes, the production centres on the Tournament of Harrenhal and stars Michael Shaeffer as the paranoid, cruel King Aerys, Callum Woodhouse as Robert Baratheon and Maxim Ays as Jaime Lannister. Staging highlights include huge mechanical jousting horses operated by puppeteers that send knights crashing to their deaths, contributing to the show's overall verdict as a pacy, visually striking success for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
- "Game of Thrones: The Mad King" prequel gets four-star RSC review
- Decade in development, sold out instantly on announcement
- Features mechanical jousting horses and Tournament of Harrenhal drama
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Game of Thrones is a fantasy television series that ran from 2011 to 2019, built around noble families fighting for control of a fictional kingdom called Westeros. It became one of the most watched dramas in television history, and its popularity has led to spin-off projects exploring earlier events in the same fictional world.
The Mad King is a stage prequel telling the story of King Aerys, a paranoid and cruel ruler whose reign ends in war, decades before the events of the original series. It was written by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, took about ten years to develop, and sold out as soon as tickets went on sale, reflecting the strength of interest in the Game of Thrones franchise.
The production matters partly as a test of whether a screen fantasy epic, known for large-scale battles and special effects, can be translated convincingly to the stage using techniques such as puppetry for its jousting scenes. Reviews of major theatre productions like this one also carry weight because they shape public expectations and influence ticket demand for a show that is already in high demand.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “GEORGINA BROWN reviews the first night of ‘Game of Thrones: The Mad King’ at Royal Shakespeare Theatre: ‘Sparks fly in this pacy tale of power plays, steamy love affairs and betrayal’”.