A new video shared exclusively with Variety reveals the elaborate stage transformation behind "Game of Thrones: The Mad King," the HBO/Royal Shakespeare Company stage production currently running at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. The footage showcases production design by Chloe Lamford that the theatre describes as unlike anything previously staged there, involving major structural excavation and thousands of hours of craftsmanship to bring George R.R. Martin's fantasy world to the stage.

The build included digging two storeys down to fit stage lifts and scenery pieces up to 20 feet tall, plus 5,291 oz of rubber crumb chippings for the textured floor, 1.58 miles of steel, and a tree with 5,000 hand-crafted leaves hiding seven faces. The iconic throne was built from more than 300 reused swords, with the entire set requiring over 4,000 hours of carpentry and engineering across 11 external firms, 19 internal staff and five freelancers. Adapted by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke, the show opened a week later than planned due to technical issues but has nearly sold out its run, which closes on 5 September, with fans hoping for a West End transfer.