There was always something Shakespearean about Game Of Thrones – its operatic character arcs, medieval setting, and succession of fallen kings, queens, warriors, innocents and villains. And now, Game Of Thrones is going Shakespearean proper – because an official stage production is on the way. Expected to debut in 2023, the show is being penned by Duncan MacMillan in collaboration with novel author George RR Martin, in a production expected to hit stages in the UK, America and Australia.
While it would seem foolish to try and tell the entire tale of the show in a single play, that doesn’t seem to be the case here – instead, it looks set to explore a single point in time in the world of Westeros, featuring a bunch of familiar faces. “Set at a pivotal moment in the history of the series, the play will for the first time take audiences deeper behind the scenes of a landmark event that previously was shrouded in mystery,” explains the press notes. “Featuring many of the most iconic and well-known characters from the series, the production will boast a story centered around love, vengeance, madness and the dangers of dealing in prophecy, in the process revealing secrets and lies that have only been hinted at until now.”
Could we be looking at an immersive theatre production of The Red Wedding, where the audience is trapped in the midst of the murder spree? Will there be dragon puppetry? Maybe it’ll just be one long monologue from Tyrion Lannister about being ‘the god of tits and wine’. Either way, expect the rush for tickets to be bloodier than the Battle Of The Bastards.
UPDATE: Here’s a statement from Martin himself, teasing when the show will be set: “The seeds of war are often planted in times of peace. Few in Westeros knew the carnage to come when highborn and smallfolk alike gathered at Harrenhal to watch the finest knights of the realm compete in a great tourney, during the Year of the False Spring. It is a tourney oft referred during HBO’s Game Of Thrones, and in my novels, A Song Of Ice & Fire… and now, at last, we can tell the whole story… on the stage.”