Game Of Thrones gets another prequel, which is pretty much the only option at this point.
Game Of Thrones is heading for the stage! Don’t blame me, blame the Royal Shakespeare Company and Variety, who are responsible for the news that the ol’ Royal Shakes is mounting a stage production of Game Of Thrones – a prequel that is.
Written by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke, with George R. R. Martin serving as executive producer and creator, the play is titled The Mad King, and the plot runs thusly:
A long winter thaws in Harrenhal, and spring is promised. At a lavish banquet on the eve of a jousting tournament, lovers meet and revellers speculate about who will contend. But in the shadows, amid growing unease at the blood-thirsty actions of the realm’s merciless Mad King, dissenters from his inner circle anxiously advance a treasonous plot. Far away, the drums of battle sound.
Cook and Macmillan, who apparently speak in unison like some kinda creepy Cenobite sitaution, had this to say:
The play is a prequel, taking place over a decade before the events of Game of Thrones. A long winter has started to thaw and, for the first time in years, all the great houses come together for a tournament – destined to be the greatest of the age. It feels like a new dawn, full of hope and opportunity. But tournaments always have a darker purpose.
George R. R. Martin, taking brief spell from the reams of writing he’s obviously producing each and every day, added:
When I first wrote Game of Thrones, I never imagined that it would be anything other than a book. It was a place for my imagination to exist without limits. To my great surprise, it was adapted for a series and viewers have been able to enter the world of my imagination through the medium of television. For my work to now be adapted for the stage is something I did not expect but welcome with great enthusiasm and excitement. Theater offers something unique. A place for mine and the audience’s imagination to meet and hopefully create something magical.
“A” book, George? A fucking book?
His fingers crooked and swollen from pounding the keyboard, Martin added:
For me, the RSC was the obvious choice when thinking about putting a Game of Thrones story on the stage. Shakespeare is the greatest name in English literature, and his plays have been a constant source of inspiration to me and my writing. Not only that, he faced similar challenges in how to put a battle on stage, so we are in good company. It will be thrilling to watch the events of this new play unfold in a live environment. Duncan’s masterful script honors the world completely, and I am so excited for both fans of the series, and perhaps people who have never picked up one of my books, to experience this new story in a theater.
Look, fair enough.
