The world premiere of the first official Game of Thrones theatrical production, The Mad King, took place over the weekend at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon. Author George RR Martin made his first public appearance since his recent health update, attending with his wife, Parris.
Martin's first public outing after health update
A week before the premiere, Martin wrote his first personal blog post in six months, describing 2026 as stressful and confessing to feeling overwhelmed and having "battled sadness and depression." He wrote, "The worst may be yet to come. I turned seventy-seven last September, and I tell you, getting old is no fun. But there have been amazing times as well. I suppose that’s just life. Of course, I knew that. If you’ve read my stories, you know that."
Martin has spent the last 15 years writing his penultimate A Song of Ice and Fire novel, The Winds of Winter. In the same amount of time between 1996 and 2011, he wrote the first five books. He admits in his latest post that he keeps "falling further and further behind."
At the premiere
At the premiere, the atmosphere felt understated, with a couple of red carpeted step-and-turns bookended by flaming torches, but no major stars in attendance. Martin was discreetly hidden inside with his bowler-hat-wearing security team. Attendees were given 'No Spoilers' stickers for their phone camera lenses.
Seated in the Circle, the author was visible from the stalls, flanked by his bodyguards and joined by his wife. He waved to fans before taking his seat, but remained straight-faced throughout most of the performance.
Reaction to the play
After a lengthy first half, Martin and his wife stayed in their seats during the interval, engaging with a few attendees who made small talk. No heckles about The Winds of Winter were reported.
Following an epic 3 hour and 40 minute performance, the curtain call received a standing ovation. Martin initially remained seated, but then a great smile came across his face, the first seen the whole time, as he stood to applaud the live cast.
