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]
Cast and characters
| Character | London | West End[4] |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | [5][6] |
| 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
- ^ 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.
- ^ Bano, Tim (2024-09-27). "Giant at the Royal Court: shocking, challenging and spectacularly good". The Standard. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
- ^ Newitt, Emmie. "Royal Court Theatre's production GIANT announces West End transfer". Theatre News and Reviews. Retrieved 2024-11-25.
- ^ "Cast - Giant | Harold Pinter Theatre | Spring 2025". gianttheplay.com. Retrieved 2025-05-27.
- ^ 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.
- ^ McIntosh, Steven (6 April 2025). "Olivier Awards 2025: Lesley Manville and John Lithgow secure top acting prizes". BBC News.