Review: Game of Thrones: The Mad King (Royal Shakespeare Theatre)

Review by Raphael Kohn

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Fans of the Game of Thrones series have long awaited the next instalments of the literary phenomenon following 2011’s A Dance With Dragons. They’ve a little longer to wait, but to tide them over, the Royal Shakespeare Company has premiered a brand-new theatrical prequel in The Mad King. A tale of betrayal, love, politics, and violence, it feels rather apt to bring it to life in the RSC of all places. Fortunately, it’s every bit as good as expected, in a stylish and thrilling production that appeals to both die-hard fans of the original series and newcomers too.

Playing out across a sprawlingly immersive stage, the entire Royal Shakespeare Theatre seems transformed for the production. Gone is the traditional thrust stage; in its place stands a bold cross-shaped platform, ready to welcome actors from all sides to duel on its boards. That feels about right though for the show taking place, as if the theatre’s very patrons are the members of the court of Westeros, watching the Targaryens, Starks, Lannisters and more in their battle for the iron throne.

Thankfully, not a whole lot of Thrones knowledge is needed to enjoy The Mad King. At its core, it’s a fairly simple tale, of the titular monarch being challenged for the throne first by his own son, before further threats arise to his reign thanks to his cruel behaviour. Inspired by the series’ lore, the story is credited to George R R Martin as ‘creator’, though the script’s actual penmanship is down to Duncan Macmillan’s adaptation. His adaptation is nothing short of grandiose, playing out over almost four hours and taking no shortcuts with its storytelling.

I hardly doubt that will appeal to the die-hard fans. Macmillan floods the play with every little detail, practically dedicating the entire first hour to exposition. That works nicely enough in the first half, which reaches its climax at the ‘Tourney’ (a fighting tournament) with jousts and dances aplenty. However, as the political thriller elements accelerate in the second half, things seem to peak far too quickly, and Macmillan ends the play with nearly 45 minutes more material that, frankly, feel almost excessive to the core plot taking place. Strangely enough, the lengthy runtime still doesn’t quite give Macmillan enough time to explore some of the characters, some of whom feel a little bit under-developed.

Fittingly for the venue hosting the premiere, the entire play seems to be in some kind of quasi-Elizabethan prose. It’s undoubtedly effective for world-building, grounding the historical high fantasy taking place in its place in time, while also acting as something of a tribute to the great writers whose works have graced the stages of the RSC. Unfortunately, though, the language never quite reaches Shakespearean levels of artistry, without the poetry and penmanship that makes such classic plays a marvel to watch, though it’s still imaginative enough to ground the show in the world of Westeros.

Appropriately enough for Martin’s intricately-conceived fantasy world, the plot is thick and complex. Beyond the core story of the mad king Aerys Targaryen and those who dare challenge his reign, there are interwoven romantic side plots and interpersonal conflicts. Thankfully, none are too difficult to follow, and it’s all structured sensibly and carefully to never lose track of anything. They all take place in and amongst some drawn-out, indulgent and extravagant setpieces, grounding the story through key pivotal events - and many of which amaze and excite in equal measure.

Almost no expense has been spared in the spectacle that comes together on stage. Directed by Dominic Cooke, the entire show feels almost like a showcase of the possibilities of live theatre. Puppetry (excellently choreographed by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell) forms a surprisingly central part, bringing horseback riding and jousting to life in thrilling style. Huge setpiece sequences follow one after the other, from grand balls, to violent and explosive tournaments, to brutal wars, each trying to one-up the last in energy.

Cooke stages it all out on Chloe Lamford’s impressive cross-shaped set, full of hidden surprises. The iconic Iron Throne makes a dramatic appearance, rising out of the floor (to applause at the performance I attended, no less), while a magnificent heart tree arises in the woodland scenes and reaches all the way from the stalls to the fly tower. In the circle, balconies fold out of the elaborate scenery, which also reveals plenty of nooks and crannies for lighting designer Jon Clark to stash some incredible rigs, blasting flashes and floods of light across the stage. It is, quite simply, a visual treat.

While it’s certainly visually stylish, there are just a few too many moments that could dial down the stylisation. Each of the onstage battles (and there are a lot of them) culminates in a substitution of the battling actors for larger-than-life puppets, with each performer joining a team of puppeteers commandeering massive two-metre soldiers to finish the job. It’s a certainly effective trick, at least for the first three hours, but at times makes you long for some proper, heart-racing sword-fighting, which does make an appearance eventually but just not quite enough. Similarly, many moments which reach violent climaxes suddenly end with a flash of light and a blackout - an effective flourish the first few times it happens, but a distraction from the brutality of the tale when used every single time.

Beyond the technical stylisations though, the story is brought to life with an expectedly talented crew onstage, with some true standouts dotted amongst them. As Ned Stark, Michael Abubakar is utterly believable, bringing a youthful energy to his character complete with a volatile and simmering anger. There’s always a sense of tension between him and his ally, Callum Woodhouse’s Robert Baratheon (whose fate will be well-known to anyone familiar with the franchise already). Woodhouse is a revelation in the role, getting one of the best character arcs in his transformation from an alcoholic soldier to a warmongering statesman.

There’s an excellent turn from Harmony Rose-Bremner as a fearless Lyanna Stark, boldly trying to break the gender norms that seem to unfortunately constrain many of the other female characters. However, one of the best performances comes from Michael Shaeffer’s brutal and wicked portrayal of the Mad King himself, half-aware of his madness though haughtily apathetic towards his impact on others. His joy in his cruelty to his subjects is all too apparent as the play goes on, cementing him as a terrific villain for the ages.

Fans will certainly leave impressed and satisfied by this latest offering in the Thrones universe, and newcomers will almost definitely find themselves reaching for a copy of the books (as I myself have). It undoubtedly makes for an entertaining night out, and one I can’t imagine will not find its way to London, New York, and beyond. If the RSC was looking for its next big hit, this surely has the worldwide appeal and spectacle to pay itself back many times over.

Game of Thrones: The Mad King plays at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre until 5th September 2026. Tickets from https://www.rsc.org.uk/game-of-thrones-the-mad-king/

Photos by Johan Persson