George R.R. Martin's new stage production, Game of Thrones: The Mad King, has begun previews at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, opening on 28 July after days of turmoil that saw its first four performances cancelled. Despite the Royal Shakespeare Company's insistence that the ambitious production would go ahead, further disruption followed before the show finally reached the stage, with its first complete performance reportedly receiving a standing ovation.

Director Dominic Cooke addressed audiences before the performance to explain the behind-the-scenes issues that had caused the earlier cancellations, according to Deadline. The successful debut marks a turnaround for the Westeros prequel just five days after reports first emerged that the production had suffered a major setback, easing concerns that the ambitious project might struggle to get off the ground.