''Giant'' is a play by Mark Rosenblatt. It is a dramatisation of a period in

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime Flying ace, fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies ...

'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 The 1982 Lebanon War, also called the Second Israeli invasion of Lebanon, began on 6 June 1982, when Israel invaded southern Lebanon. The invasion followed a series of attacks and counter-attacks between the Palestine Liberation Organization ...

was deemed anti-Semitic. It premiered at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...

in 2024 in a production starring

John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. He studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his John Lithgow filmography, diverse work on stage and screen. He has rece ...

as Dahl which won three

Laurence Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Aw ...

, including Best New Play.

Production history

Off-West End (2024)

The play premiered at the

on 20 September 2024, running until 16 November. The production was directed by

Nicholas Hytner Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner ( ; born 7 May 1956) is an English theatre director, film director, and film producer. He was previously the Artistic Director of London's National Theatre. His major successes as director include ''Miss Saigon'', '' ...

and designed by

Bob Crowley Bob Crowley (born 10 June 1952) is a theatre designer (scenic and costume), and theatre director. He lives between London, New York and West Cork in the south west of Ireland. Career Born in Cork, Ireland on 10 June 1952, Bob Crowley is t ...

with a cast including

, Elliot Levey as

Tom Maschler Thomas Michael Maschler (16 August 193315 October 2020) was a British publisher and writer. From 1960, he was influential as the head of publishing company Jonathan Cape over a period of more than three decades. Maschler was noted for institutin ...

, Rachael Stirling as Felicity 'Liccy' Crosland, Tessa Bonham Jones as Hallie,

Romola Garai Romola Sadie Garai ( ; born 6 August 1982) is a Hong Kong-born British actress and film director. Known for her extensive work on stage and screen, she often acts in period films. Her early film roles include '' Nicholas Nickleby'' (2002), '' ...

as Jessie Stone, and Richard Hope as Wally Saunders.

West End (2025)

The play transferred to the

Harold Pinter Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

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.

Cast and characters

Accolades

London production

References

{{OlivierAward Play 2024 plays British plays Cultural depictions of Roald Dahl Laurence Olivier Award–winning plays