We're Getting a 'Game of Thrones' Prequel Play Before We Get 'The Winds of Winter'

George R.R. Martin has already said that, if he dies before he finishes writing the A Song of Ice and Fire series, then that’s it. It ends with him. His fans have a lot of feelings on that, but at least they continue to be well fed with the well-received A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and an upcoming season of The House of the Dragon. Now, they can dress up for a night at the theatre.

Britain’s Royal Shakespeare Company has announced the upcoming world premiere of Game of Thrones: The Mad King, a prequel which will tell an original story, based on new material from Martin. The play itself will be written by celebrated playwright Duncan Macmillan, who has written award winning plays like People, Places & Things and a recent adaptation of 1984. It will be directed by Dominic Cooke, who will become artistic director of London’s Almeida Theatre later this year.

Sure, why not? That Stranger Things play has been a hit and is about to get a Netflix premiere, although hopefully this play won’t contain crucial plot points for the ASOIF series like that one. The fans know they’re not getting the books, so they may as well enjoy what Martin is eager to give them. And the stage craft is sure to be stunning (as are the ticket prices.)

Here’s the plot:

“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.

“Family bonds, ancient prophecies, and the sacred line of succession will be tested in a dangerous campaign for power. Who will survive? Who will rise?”

The show will premiere at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and you can buy tickets from April.