House of the Dragon‘s third season came to an end the same weekend a new Game of Thrones story officially kicked off. The Royal Shakespeare Company’s play, The Mad King, officially opened. While fans who saw early previews have shared details about the story, it’s clear those breakdowns couldn’t capture the grandeur of seeing the Seven Kingdoms’ come to life on stage. For that, we needed to see these first official images from the Game of Thrones play, which show how The Mad King brings to life some of the most beloved, notorious, and important figures from the Realm, surrounded by some truly epic sets worthy of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Game of Thrones fans might only know Aerys II, the Mad King himself, from his brief appearances in vision-flashbacks from the show. But this is the true Mad King, a once charming monarch whose descent into madness helped end his family’s nearly three-century reign. But he’s just one of the many famous faces seen here. This batch of first-look images from the Game of Thrones play The Mad King include Ned and Lyanna Stark, Rhaegar Targaryen, Robert Baratheon, Elia Martell, Ashara Dayne, and Shella Whent.
This batch of images from The Mad King also shows the Tourney at Harrenhal that takes place in the Game of Thrones play. That event changed Westeros and the world of the living forever. The Mad King‘s version of that ill-fated gathering even includes the infamous tourney joust. A joust. On stage. My R’hllor!
Nerdist Take: The Mad King Brings to Life Epic Game of Thrones Sets in Play Form, Including the Weirwood Tree and Iron Throne
The first-look images from the Game of Thrones play also feature maybe the best weirwood tree ever. We see Rhaegar alone near the tall, holy weirwood, which has many faces carved into it. How many greenseers were watching him through those eyes at this vital moment in Seven Kingdoms’ history? Maybe as many people who sat in the audience on opening night.
We also love the version of the Iron Throne from The Mad King, which is much taller than the iconic version seen on HBO. Neither is wholly accurate to the description found in George R.R. Martin’s books, but that’s because that giant monstrosity would not be practical for a TV show or a stage play. Plus, this way we get many versions of the most famous chair in Westeros. We ready to see even more angles of this epic set piece as more images from the Game of Thrones play surface.
If only Aerys II could have taken one of the Iron Thrones’ swords to use as a razor. Maybe if he didn’t look so mad he wouldn’t have become the Mad King. But we’re certainly not upset we finally got to see him the way he really looked.
Go Deeper Into the Mad King’s Story
Why are so many notorious figures from Game of Thrones involved in this play? Not sure what to expect from The Mad King? Excited but confused by these first-look images from the Game of Thrones play? We have you covered. Read our pieces about The Mad King, Rhaeghar Targaryen, and his relationship with Lyanna Stark to really get into the meat of this tale.
And, if you can, make sure to snag tickets for The Mad King. The Game of Thrones play is now performing at the Royal Shakespeare Theater in Stratford-upon-Avon in the UK.