This production is recommended for ages 14+.
Performance dates
26 April - 2 August 2025
Run time: 2hrs 20mins
Includes interval
4 reviews
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Giant London tickets
Following a sell-out run at the Royal Court and three Olivier wins including Best New Play, Best Actor for John Lithgow and Best Supporting Actor for Elliot Levey, Giant plays at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Book your official tickets today!
What is Giant about?
“I wanted to put you bang in the picture. Apprise you of the difficulties. Because, in case you hadn’t noticed, he’s a human f**king boobytrap. And now, guess what, surprise surprise, boom!”
A world-famous children’s author under threat. A battle of wills in the wake of scandal. And one chance to make amends…
It’s the summer of 1983, The Witches is about to hit the shelves and Roald Dahl is making last-minute edits. But the outcry at his recent, explicitly antisemitic article won’t die down.
Across a single afternoon at his family home, and rocked by an unexpectedly explosive confrontation, Dahl is forced to choose: make a public apology or risk his name and reputation.
Inspired by real events, Mark Rosenblatt’s debut play explores with dark humour the difference between considered opinion and dangerous rhetoric.
Facts and critical acclaim
- Giant is the recipient of three Olivier Awards including Best New Play, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor
- John Lithgow won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role in The Changing Room, it was his Broadway debut.
- A modern-day Shakespeare, Roald Dahl invented more than 500 phizz-whizzing words!
- Director Nicholas Hytner is best known for the highly acclaimed West End productions, Miss Saigon and The History Boys, and is the recipient of a BAFTA, two Tony Awards, and three Oliviers.
Please bear in mind
This production is recommended for ages 14+
Giant cast
- Roald Dahl - John Lithgow
- Tom Maschler - Elliot Levey
- Felicity 'Liccy' Crosland - Rachael Stirling
- Wally Saunders - Richard Hope
Giant creatives
- Writer - Mark Rosenblatt
- Director - Nicholas Hytner
The Royal Court's premiere of GIANT and Royal Court Theatre Productions are supported by a gift from Charles Holloway OBE. Key art photography Doron Gild
Access
Audio Described Performance: Saturday July 12th 2025 at 2:30pm, Captioned Performance -Saturday July 19th 2025 at 2.30pmRecent Reviews
Latest Giant News
News / Reviews / New Shows + Transfers
Review Roundup: What are the critics saying about Giant?
Following a sold-out Royal Court Theatre run and a triumphant turn at the Oliviers, which saw the show take home a giganticus three awards (the most of the night). Mark Rosenblatt’s splendiferous new drama Giant has officially opened in the West End!
Starring 2025 Olivier Award-winner John Lithgow (3rd Rock From the Sun), as author Roald Dahl opposite fellow 2025 Olivier Award-winner Elliot Levey (GOOD) as Tom Maschler, the transfer was expected to be as wondercrump as the original run. But was it?
What is Giant about?
Inspired by historical controversy, Giant explores the tangled legacy of literary icon Roald Dahl. With biting wit and unsettling honesty, the play scrutinizes how charm and intellect can mask prejudice, confronting the uneasy truths behind beloved cultural figures. As Dahl's public persona begins to unravel, Giant challenges audiences to reckon with the real-world harm of antisemitic rhetoric and the enduring power of words.
2 May, 2025 | By Sian McBride
News / Casting
Meet the Cast of Giant
Following a sold-out run at the Royal Court, Giant transfers to the Harold Pinter Theatre for a strictly limited season.
It’s 1983, and Roald Dahl is finalising The Witches, but controversy over his recent antisemitic article won’t fade. As tensions rise in his home, he faces a choice: apologise or risk his legacy. Inspired by real events, Mark Rosenblatt’s debut play uses dark humour to examine the fine line between thoughtful opinion and harmful rhetoric, presenting a complex portrayal of a fiercely charismatic figure.
21 Mar, 2025 | By Hay Brunsdon