27/02/2026

LYFE FRIDAY | FEB 27, 2026

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A MERICAN writer George R.R. Martin’s popular Game of Thrones series has been adapted for a theatrical production which is to make its debut this summer, reported Bernama-PA Media/dpa. The fantasy drama series began as a series of novels titled A Song of Ice and Fire, written by Martin in the 1990s, which was adapted into the award-winning TV series that has since spawned a string of spin-off shows. The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) said the critically acclaimed series will take the stage in Stratford upon-Avon later this year in a theatrical adaptation titled Game of Thrones: The Mad King . The production will be based on the books by Martin and will be adapted for the stage by playwright Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke. It will be set over a decade before the events of the novels and is said to “reveal a legendary chapter” about the history of the fictional, medieval style continent of Westeros, where the fantasy series is set. The RSC said the story will take place after a long winter, at “a lavish banquet on the eve of a jousting tournament”, and will chart a treasonous plot against the Mad King as his inside circle questions his “merciless” rule. Executive producer and creator Martin said: “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. “For my work to now be adapted for the stage is something I did not expect but welcome with great enthusiasm and excitement. “Theatre offers something unique.

The Game of Thrones TV series is beloved for its razor-sharp writing and spectacular special effects, but its final season remains controversial.

Game of Thrones on stage

o Royal Shakespeare Company to perform tale about ‘Mad King’

director Cooke said: “George’s storytelling is Shakespearean in its scale and its themes – dynastic struggle, ambition, rebellion, madness, prophecy, ill-fated love. “From the beginning, Shakespeare’s histories and tragedies have been our primary reference for the ambition of this production, so the Royal Shakespeare Company feels like a natural home.” The theatre company’s co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey said: “When we first read Duncan’s script, it was immediately apparent how this epic cycle of warring families sits in a continuum with Shakespeare’s history cycles. “Stories of power, ambition and the complexities of succession are evergreen – and this adaptation explores the true nature of authority through the lens of young people grappling with inherited identities. “The story will have all the epic qualities audiences would expect from Game of Thrones , but ultimately,

A place for mine and the audience’s imagination to meet and hopefully create something magical.” The writer said the RSC was the “obvious choice” to stage a Game of Thrones story, adding: “It will be thrilling to watch the events of this new play unfold in a live environment. “Duncan’s masterful script honours the world completely, and I am so excited for fans of the series, and perhaps people who have never picked up one of my books, to experience this new story in a theatre.” A Song of Ice and Fire was first adapted into TV series Game of Thrones in 2011, which starred a host of British talent including Emilia Clarke, Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams. The show ended in 2019 and has had two prequel series: House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms . English playwright Macmillan and

Pilou Asbæk (left) and Lena Headey in Game of Thrones . it has a very human heart.” The RSC said priority tickets for the production will go on sale from April 14, with public booking available later that month. Further details about the adaptation are yet to be announced. – Bernama

From left: Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), Daenerys Targaryen (Clarke) and Varys (Conleth Hill). – ALL PICS FROM IMDB Paradise returns with higher stakes, new faces

PARADISE, the dystopian political thriller starring Sterling K. Brown as secret service agent Xavier Collins, storms into its second season on Hulu with a deeper look at the mystery that drove humanity underground. “The stakes are higher,” said Thomas Doherty, who joins the cast this season as Link, leader of a biker gang. He hopes audiences look past the explosions and action to the show’s emotional core. “The show, to all of us – certainly me – is a human story, and it’s very rooted in that,” he recently told Reuters at the Hollywood premiere. Julianne Nicholson returns as

antagonist Samantha “Sinatra” Redmond and Shailene Woodley joins the ensemble as a prominent survivor of the global catastrophe. Sarah Shahi and Aliyah Mastin return as Dr Gabriela Torabi and Presley Collins, Xavier’s daughter. Collins’ hunt for the truth – and for his missing wife – drives season two as the series widens its lens on the disaster that pushed survivors underground. The broader look at the cataclysm prompted Shahi to draw real-world parallels: “All you have to do is look around the world and see the state everyone’s in to go, ‘Maybe I should start thinking a little differently, and I should start preparing a little differently.’”

Mastin (left) and Charlie Evans in Paradise .