Stage show spinoffs are becoming the latest major trend in franchises. Studios have discovered that fans will travel to different cities just to experience an exclusive chapter of their favorite stories. Recently, The First Shadow was filmed for Netflix, Tom Felton returned as Draco Malfoy in Cursed Child, and franchises such as Paranormal Activity are also being adapted for the stage.
Given how the Game of Thrones universe continues to grow with series like House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a stage adaptation seemed inevitable. However, the production’s subject matter and creative team are unexpected.
Per , the Royal Shakespeare Company will stage Game of Thrones: The Mad King, a new production directed by Dominic Cooke and written by Duncan Macmillan. While George R. R. Martin didn’t write the script himself—he certainly has enough projects already—his attendance at several London workshops should reassure fans that his creative influence remains.
This production has been developing for years and has evolved to encompass Robert’s Rebellion. Taking place roughly 15 years before Game of Thrones, The Mad King initially concentrated on one specific tournament, similar to Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: the Tourney at Harrenhal, widely considered the greatest tournament ever held.
The tournament occurred during a pivotal moment in Westerosi history: the Year of the False Spring, when beloved Game of Thrones characters were reaching adulthood. Eighteen-year-old Ned Stark attended with his siblings, including his sister Lyanna, who was promised to Robert Baratheon. Fifteen-year-old Jaime Lannister was also present, securing his position in King Aerys II’s Kingsguard—the monarch he would later betray, earning his infamous title.
Most significantly, this tournament marks the first encounter between Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. When required to crown the Queen of Love and Beauty, Rhaegar overlooked his wife Elia Martell and bestowed the honor upon Lyanna. Shortly thereafter, the pair vanished, ultimately prompting Robert to rise up against the Mad King and claim the Iron Throne.
Even though this tournament profoundly shaped Westerosi history, it has never appeared directly in the books. Readers only encounter it through characters’ memories. For instance, in A Game of Thrones, while awaiting execution in his cell, Ned Stark recalls: “It was the year of false spring, and he was eighteen again, down from the Eyrie to the tourney at Harrenhal. He could see the deep green of the grass and smell the pollen on the wind. Warm days and cool nights and the sweet taste of wine.”
This fragmented oral tradition has spawned numerous theories about the tournament that the play could potentially resolve. First, some speculate that Rhaegar attended the tourney specifically to forge alliances aimed at seizing the Iron Throne from King Aerys, which would explain the King’s unexpected appearance.
Another mystery involves Ashara Dayne. Ashara, sister to Ser Arthur Dayne—the Sword of the Morning—apparently had a brief romance with Ned at the tournament, after he had his brother Brandon request a dance on his behalf. But what truly happened to her? The books hint that a Stark dishonored her. Was it Ned, or perhaps Brandon?
Finally, a compelling fan theory could provide an ideal theatrical twist: during the tournament, a mysterious competitor known as the Knight of the Laughing Tree entered the joust and defeated three opponents. The knight’s identity was never disclosed, but the predominant fan speculation suggests it was Lyanna Stark herself, reputed to be a capable fighter like her future niece Arya.
Even if the production resolves these mysteries, one question remains: its place in the canon. The book canon and show canon differ significantly and typically remain distinct. Yet a stage play is neither an HBO series nor a novel—it’s something else entirely. So which canon will it expand? Both? Neither? For now, we have only questions, though answers should emerge eventually.