Giant (play)

Giant
West End Promotional Poster
Written by	Mark Rosenblatt
Directed by	Nicholas Hytner
Date premiered	20 September 2024
Place premiered	Royal Court Theatre. London

Giant is a play by Mark Rosenblatt. It is a dramatisation of a period in Roald Dahl's life after his 1983 literary review of a picture book about the siege of West Beirut by the Israeli army during the 1982 Lebanon War was deemed anti-Semitic. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 2024 in a production starring John Lithgow as Dahl which won three Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best New Play.

Production history

Off-West End (2024)

The play premiered at the Royal Court Theatre on 20 September 2024, running until 16 November. The production was directed by Nicholas Hytner and designed by Bob Crowley with a cast including John Lithgow as Roald Dahl, Elliot Levey as Tom Maschler, Rachael Stirling as Felicity 'Liccy' Crosland, Tessa Bonham Jones as Hallie, Romola Garai as Jessie Stone, and Richard Hope as Wally Saunders. ^{[1] [2]}

West End (2025)

The play transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End for 14 weeks from 26 April 2025, running until 2 August. Lithgow and Levey reprised their roles as Dahl and Maschler. ^[3] The London production earned three 2025 Olivier Awards, including Best New Play alongside Lithgow and Levey's acting wins. Producers: Brian and Dayna Lee, Stephanie Kramer and Nicole Kramer, Josh Fiedler, and Robyn Goodma, according to Playbill.

Broadway (2026)

The play is scheduled to transfer to Broadway in Spring 2026 with Lithgow expected to reprise his role as Dahl. Elliot Levey, Rachel Sterling, and Aya Cash are also expected to reprise their respective roles on Broadway. ^[4] The show is expected to begin previews on March 11, 2026 with an official opening scheduled for March 23, 2026, at the Music Box Theatre. ^{[5] [6] [7]} The Broadway production is directed by two-time Tony Award winner Nicholas Hytner.

Cast and characters

Character	London	West End [8]
	2024	2025
Roald Dahl	John Lithgow
Tom Maschler	Elliot Levey
Felicity 'Liccy' Crosland	Rachael Stirling
Hallie	Tessa Bonham Jones
Jessie Stone	Romola Garai	Aya Cash
Wally Saunders	Richard Hope

Accolades

London production

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result	Ref.
2025	Laurence Olivier Awards	Best New Play	Mark Rosenblatt	Won	[9] [10]
		Best Actor	John Lithgow	Won
		Best Actor in a Supporting Role	Elliot Levey	Won
		Best Actress in a Supporting Role	Romola Garai	Nominated
		Best Director	Nicholas Hytner	Nominated

References

1. Akbar, Arifa (2024-09-27). "Giant – exploration of Roald Dahl and antisemitism that speaks to our times". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-11-25.
2. Bano, Tim (2024-09-27). "Giant at the Royal Court: shocking, challenging and spectacularly good". The Standard. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
3. Newitt, Emmie. "Royal Court Theatre's production GIANT announces West End transfer". Theatre News and Reviews. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
4. Evans, Greg (2025-10-15). "'Giant' With John Lithgow As Roald Dahl Sets Broadway Opening Date, Cast Including Aya Cash". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
5. Cristi, A. A. "John Lithgow To Star As Author Roald Dahl In Olivier-Winning GIANT On Broadway". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2025-09-16.
6. Evans, Greg (October 15, 2025). "'Giant' With John Lithgow As Roald Dahl Sets Broadway Opening Date, Cast Including Aya Cash". Deadline. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
7. Culwell-Block, Logan (October 15, 2025). "See Who's Joining John Lithgow's Roald Dahl in Giant on Broadway". Playbill. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
8. "Cast - Giant | Harold Pinter Theatre | Spring 2025". gianttheplay.com. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
9. Wiegand, Chris (4 March 2025). "Fiddler on the Roof up for 13 Olivier Awards and Romola Garai Nominated Twice in Same Category". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 8 March 2025.
10. McIntosh, Steven (6 April 2025). "Olivier Awards 2025: Lesley Manville and John Lithgow secure top acting prizes". BBC News .