Let the games resume

With writer George RR Martin developing a stage adaptation of Game of Thrones that will delve into a crucial backstory, fans of the cult TV series share which characters they’d like to see return

For nearly a decade, the Lannisters, Starks, Baratheons and other noble families of Westeros slugged it out to claim the coveted Iron Throne in HBO’s TV series Game of Thrones (GoT). Based on writer George RR Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice, the fantasy series achieved cult status as we mourned the loss of countless favourite characters, debated fan theories, and let’s admit it, were crushed by that disappointing eighth season. But the games are far from over. Martin is reportedly adapting the story for a stage performance for Broadway, West End and Australia. The play is supposedly set 16 years before the events even took place in the TV series, during a crucial time in Westeros’ history, The Great Tourney at Harrenhal. As GoT lovers celebrate the news, five Mumbai fans tell us about the favourites they would like to see on stage and why. Read on, but don’t blame us for spoilers. 

All hail the Night King

It’s rare for the enemy to find a fan base, and Chitresh Sinha, founder of the social impact initiative The Plated Project, is one of them. He reasons that as the fear-inducing leader of the White Walkers, the Night King’s story deserved more screen time. “He was the super villain, and then he died so simply [killed by Arya Stark]. So, if his backstory can be explored more, then it may add a new perspective,” Sinha notes.

Chitresh Sinha

Tyrion, the Chanakya 

Ghatkopar-based senior product manager Rohan Lakhlani, who’s watched the series four times since 2018, tells us that he would love to see Tyrion Lannister, AKA The Imp, come to life on stage. Played by Peter Dinklage on screen, the youngest of the Lannister family has been popular, thanks to his wit and underdog appeal. “Hailing from the Lannister family who have ridiculed him for being a midget, he has travelled through the kingdoms, killed his father, served the enemy and stayed alive to tell the tale. His character is like the Chanakya of GoT,” Lakhlani adds.

Rohan Lakhlani

Cheers to Jon Snow 

Jon Snow, essayed by Kit Harington, drew a big following, and Amrita Chawla, a media consultant, is cheering for his return. “I would love to see Jon Snow return in the theatrical adaptation because he is sensible, a perfect gentleman, and is quite the looker. He’s also an underdog, an unloved bastard son, and even after being humiliated, he loved his cousin more than anything,” she points out.

Amrita Chawla

What happened to Cersei? 

Khar-based MBA student Sowjanya Sampathkumar, shares that Queen Regent Cersei Lannister’s backstory would be interesting to see on stage. “She’s a vengeful queen, a mother who loves her children unconditionally, a woman hated by almost everyone and also someone who will go to any lengths to do as she pleases. It’ll be interesting to see what turned a sweet princess madly in love with King Robert Baratheon into a murderer, who killed him and became the person we know her as today.”

Sowjanya Sampathkumar

Remembering the virtuous Ned Stark 

Mit Shah, an entrepreneur from Fort, has not been able to get over the loss of Ned Stark, whose beheading was the first collective heartbreak for GoT fans. About the father of the Stark kids, he says, “Most of us have loved Winterfell and felt for the Stark kids, and Ned Stark laid the foundation for all of that. His values were instilled in Arya, Jon, Sansa and the rest. It would be nice to see more of him, and would add more flavour to the storyline.”

Mit Shah

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