Can somebody with a pass take the tube to Earls Court then take buses
to Shadwell then take the DLR to King George?


If you're just trying to avoid using the tube in zone 1, consider
taking the tube to Hammersmith or Kensington Olympia instead (both zone
2) and then, from either station, taking:

9 to Trafalgar Square/Strand
15 to Watney Street market (on Commercial Road), which is a five minute
walk from Shadwell DLR (through the market).

This would appear to be a little more direct, although no route using
buses through the central area is going to be particularly quick during
the day.