A Thunderous Game of Thrones: The Mad King
George R.R.Martin's Game of Thrones: The Mad King. Adapted by Duncan MacMillan. Directed by Dominic Cooke. At the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon running until 5 September 2026.
Review by Ann Cee.
Game of Thrones: The Mad King is an extraordinary live theatre show that pushes all the boundaries of theatre and sends deep reverberations to the bones long after its over.
The incredible set is the first impression that every theatre lover could want in terms of creating cathedral style awe and excitement from the minute you walk through the door. It has a magnificent imposing presence and clever adaptations for further delight as the show progresses - its no one trick pony.
Horses however, do loom large through terrific puppetry and honestly, blew me away with their realism and grandeur. They are the cornerstones of riveting scenes that take the pomp, majesty and battles of this political power struggle galloping to new heights. Truly fantastic and to some extent, terrifying as the hooves thundered and bounced through the set.
Delivery of fight and battle scenes take imaginative theatre to new levels of impact with terrific repeating motifs that echo anything we might see on our movie screens and place it right in front of our noses with live bodies just feet away.
The fierce live action battles are offset with beautiful haunting solos, raucous pub culture and the 'love' lives of the main protagonists as well as the exploration of spiritual practices at the mystical Heart Tree. The Mad King himself, (Michael Schaeffer), swings the mood of the room with every spoken word and his mercurial behaviours emit intense foreboding and the tensions embedded in the holding of great power. I relished his scenes and the nuances in his every syllable.
This is a big big big show so the cast of actors and creatives is huge. Bringing this show to fruition is a magnificent achievement that will go down in theatre history.
This Game of Thrones is an ambitious, dynamic, exciting show that will grow and grow.
Tickets available from https://www.rsc.org.uk/game-of-thrones-the-mad-king/
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