George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones: The Mad King lost its July 25 preview at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon after the Royal Shakespeare Company had already scrapped the first week of previews. For ticket holders, that means a second sudden change to the run before the production’s planned August 8 opening.
MikeyButch17 and the hotel bill
MikeyButch17 said they had already booked hotels and paid for travel before the cancellation. Posting on Reddit’s Absolutely Fuming at the RSC, they wrote: “Having booked hotels and paid for travel this is absolutely unacceptable” and added, “They are now offering us the chance to rebook, with 0 availability for the remaining run. What a fucking joke!”
Audience members affected by the July 25 cancellation are due a full and automatic refund, including any fees paid. That is the practical next step for anyone holding a ticket to the canceled preview: the money goes back, but the replacement options are constrained by the sold-out ticket page.
July 20 to September 5
The production was scheduled to begin previews on July 20, then open on August 8 and close on September 5. The show’s ticket page showed all performances through the closing date as sold out, so the rebooking window for displaced preview buyers is effectively closed.
El_palmo42 described the same squeeze in a Reddit comment, saying, “In exactly the same position!” and, “Just checked into our hotel in Stratford and then received the email.” Another comment from MikeyButch17 sharpened the friction between the prior message and the cancellation: “Also, they allowed us to rebook for tonight, after the person on the phone promised us the performance would go ahead regardless.”
RSC delay on Game of Thrones
The Royal Shakespeare Company said it needed additional time to bring the production to a public audience because of the ambitious and epic nature of the show and a number of unforeseen delays. Set in Harrenhal as a long winter begins to thaw, the stage prequel has now lost a week of previews before the audience ever gets to see whether the August 8 opening holds.
For anyone who booked around the run, the immediate answer is simple: seek the automatic refund and keep the travel receipts close, because 0 availability means there is no easy swap inside the existing dates. The larger question is how many preview performances were ultimately wiped out and whether the August 8 opening will still stand.
