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Giant

Giant Tickets

John Lithgow stars as Roald Dahl in this darkly comedic portrait of the beloved but complicated children's author.

4.9 22 reviews from 22 verified reviews
  • Starring: John Lithgow
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Giant in London

Starring:

John Lithgow

Following a gigantic sell-out 2024 season, Giant transfers to the West End for 14 weeks this spring. In this controversial pitch-perfect play for our times, author Roald Dahl is taken to task for blatant antisemitism. John Lithgow (Third Rock From The Sun, Killers of the Flower Moon, The Crown) reprises his leading role.

Roald Dahl's gorgeous children's stories have lit up the West End, delighting millions. But there was a darker side to the writer as revealed by this brilliant play, a fierce battle of wills in the wake of a media storm that left only one opportunity to put things right.

Giant the story

Inspired by real events, the play rolls back time to the summer of 1983 when Dahl's book The Witches was about to hit the shops. But he's the subject of a growing outcry thanks to a recent book review and the scandal is not going away. Having always supported Palestine, his glowing review of a book condemning Israel's 1982 West Beirut siege caused an enormous scandal.

Blending black humour with razor sharp insight, this is a wonderfully complex portrait of a dangerously charismatic person who didn't think before he wrote and didn't care who he offended. Clever stuff.

About Giant

Mark Rosenblatt’s first play has already come in for five and four-star praise from the critics as well as selling out at the Royal Court where it premiered. Antisemitic language, graphic descriptions of violence, emotional themes like the conflict in the Middle East, Israel and Palestine plus strong language and top class acting make it a memorable experience.

Giant cast and creatives

Multiple award winning US actor John Lithgow (Third Rock From The Sun, Killers of the Flower Moon, The Crown) reprises a critically acclaimed role as Dahl, described as a 'magnificent' performance. Olivier Award-winning Elliot Levey (Cold War, Patriots, Good) returns as Tom Maschler, Rachael Stirling (The Divine Mrs S) as Felicity Crosland and Richard Hope (Hijack) as Wally Saunders.

The play is directed by Nicholas Hytner (Straight Line Crazy, La Belle Sauvage). Bob Crowley is the Designer, Anna Watson is the Lighting Designer, Alexandra Faye Braithwaite is the Sound Designer and Arthur Carrington is the Casting Director. Giant is produced in the West End by Brian and Dayna Lee, Stephanie Kramer and Nicole Kramer, Josh Fiedler, and Robyn Goodman.

Mark Rosenblatt's critically acclaimed play Giant returns to the stage for a limited time. If you missed its unforgettable run at the Royal Court Theatre, now is your chance to experience this powerful exploration of human ambition and vulnerability.

Giant Official Theatre Tickets

Our central reservation system connects you directly to the Harold Pinter Theatre box office system. We provide live & full availability for Giant tickets, from VIP and premium, to top price and discount tickets, helping you choose the perfect tickets for your budget. Pick your seats from our interactive seating plan and get your theatre tickets emailed to you instantly after your booking. Simply present your e-tickets at the door on the day and experience what London & the West End have best to offer: the magic of theatre. Buying tickets for Giant has never been easier.

Giant Ticket Information

  • Booking until:

    Saturday, 2 August 2025

  • Running time:

    2hr 20min. Incl. 1 interval.

  • Age restrictions

    Ages 14+.

  • Important Information

    This production contains haze.

  • Cancellations & Refunds

    Once booked, tickets to Giant are usually non exchangeable and non refundable as per our terms & conditions. In practice, however, we will do our best to accommodate your request as long as we are notified at least 48 hours before the performance. Please contact us for more information.

Giant Frequently Asked Questions

What is the running time for Giant?

The play runs about 2 hours and 20 minutes, including an interval.

What ages is Giant appropriate for?

With mature themes, a complex story, and subject matter that revolves around antisemitism and racism, this play is most appropriate for audiences aged 14 and upwards.

What is the creative team behind Giant?

The play is written by Mark Rosenblatt, directed by Nicholas Hytner, with Bob Crowley leading design, Anna Watson on lighting, and Alexandra Faye Braithwaite on sound.

How much are tickets?

Ticket prices start at £30. Pricing varies depending on the date, time, and seating location.

Giant cheap tickets

We have a great selection of cheap Giant tickets. We can help you save up to 70% on Giant tickets! If you're looking for discount theatre tickets have a look below for our latest offers for Giant at the Harold Pinter Theatre.

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Giant reviews

4.9 out of 5 22 reviews

What to expect:

Acting
Music
Costumes
Story
Lighting
  • Recommended for:
  • Theatregoers (100%)
Latest customer reviews

All reviews are from customers who have been invited to leave a review just after seeing Giant.

verified

Mr Lithgow - is a ‘Giant’ of sheer talant!

A snapshot slice of the complexed, wily, arrogant game playing - yet passionate Dahl! The script was superb, and yet set in 1983, the same political troubles addressed in this play are ironically pertinent today; and so were Raoul Dahls then. This is so interesting and Lithgow handled this tricky political ‘hot potatoe’ with skill and clarity. Lithgow is a delight to watch as he is particularly great at projecting largess colourful character's. He’s gifted with such subtlety when required. Complimented by excellent fellow cast members it’s a shame this was the last night! I got Lithgows autograph I adore his works that much Nobody, no actor today could top this portrayal of a Machiavellian, cunning - yet adorable Mr Dahl x 🙏

P Reviewed on 03 August 2025 by
United Kingdom

verified

A Theatrical Earthquake That Shook Me to My Core

An Absolute Masterpiece I’m still reeling. Yesterday I sat in the Harold Pinter Theatre watching Giant, and I can’t stop thinking about it. As someone who grew up devouring Roald Dahl’s books—who learned to love reading through Matilda and The Witches—this play has fundamentally changed how I see one of my childhood heroes. And somehow, that’s exactly what makes it so brilliant. The Harold Pinter Theatre feels like the ideal home for this production. There’s something fitting about staging a play about moral complexity and uncomfortable truths in a venue named after one of Britain’s most uncompromising playwrights. The intimate 796-seat theatre creates an almost suffocating closeness to the action—you can see every micro-expression cross John Lithgow’s face, every moment of internal struggle. Bob Crowley’s set design is pure genius: Dahl’s home mid-renovation, with exposed beams and scaffolding, mirrors perfectly how the man himself is being stripped down and rebuilt before our eyes. The crumbling walls aren’t just décor—they’re a metaphor for reputation, legacy, and the facade we all maintain. The Acting: Simply Extraordinary John Lithgow doesn’t just play Roald Dahl; he becomes him so completely that it’s genuinely unsettling. Within minutes, I forgot I was watching the man from 3rd Rock from the Sun. Lithgow captures that grandfatherly warmth we associate with Dahl, then slowly peels it away to reveal something far more complex and disturbing underneath. When he delivers that horrific line about Hitler not picking on Jews “for no reason”—an actual Dahl quote—the theatre went dead silent. You could feel the collective intake of breath. It’s a career-defining performance that rightfully earned him the Olivier Award. Elliot Levey as Tom Maschler, Dahl’s British Jewish publisher, provides the perfect foil. His controlled fury and quiet dignity make every moment he’s on stage electric. The way he maintains his composure while his client spouts antisemitic bile is both heartbreaking and masterful. Aya Cash, making her West End debut as American publisher Jessie Stone, is absolutely fearless. She goes toe-to-toe with Lithgow’s Dahl in scenes that crackle with tension. Her confrontation with Dahl about Jewish identity is one of the most powerful theatrical moments I’ve ever witnessed. Rachael Stirling brings nuance to what could have been a thankless role as Dahl’s fiancée Felicity. She captures the impossible position of loving someone whose views you find abhorrent, and Richard Hope as handyman Wally provides moments of much-needed levity without ever undermining the play’s serious intent. The Topic: Painfully Relevant This isn’t just a historical curiosity about a 1983 scandal. Mark Rosenblatt has written something that feels urgently contemporary. In our current climate, where antisemitic incidents are rising and public figures regularly face consequences for their statements, Giant asks uncomfortable questions about accountability, artistic legacy, and the difference between criticism and prejudice. The play doesn’t offer easy answers, and that’s what makes it so powerful. It doesn’t try to rehabilitate Dahl or excuse his views, but it also doesn’t simply demonize him. Instead, it asks us to grapple with the complexity of loving someone’s art while abhorring their personal beliefs. As someone whose childhood was shaped by Dahl’s imagination, this hit me particularly hard. Why This Play Matters Giant is the kind of theatre that reminds you why live performance is irreplaceable. Nicholas Hytner’s direction is crystalline—every pause, every gesture, every moment of silence serves the story. The production finds dark humor in the horror without ever minimizing the real harm of Dahl’s words. This is a play that trusts its audience to think, to feel uncomfortable, to leave the theatre with more questions than answers. In a world of easy moral certainties, Giant demands we sit with ambiguity and wrestle with it. The Bottom Line Giant is essential viewing—not just for theatre lovers, but for anyone who cares about how we reckon with problematic art and artists. It’s a play that will stay with you long after the curtain falls, forcing you to examine your own capacity for separating art from artist. The production runs until August 2nd, and every performance is apparently selling out. Book now, but be warned: this isn’t comfortable entertainment. It’s vital, urgent, devastating theatre that tackles one of the most important cultural conversations of our time. John Lithgow has given the performance of his career, Mark Rosenblatt has announced himself as a major new theatrical voice, and Nicholas Hytner has directed with his usual brilliance. Together, they’ve created something truly special—a play that doesn’t just entertain but fundamentally challenges how we think about legacy, accountability, and the stories we tell ourselves about our heroes. This is what theatre should be: brave, uncompromising, and utterly unforgettable. 5/5 stars - Go see it. Just be prepared to feel everything

J Reviewed on 02 August 2025 by
United Kingdom

verified

Must see

Brilliant script, good acting

O Reviewed on 26 July 2025 by
United Kingdom

verified

Rise to the challenge

Great to see in the West End a well acted, superbly wrought, thoughtful drama about matters that touch as all.

H Reviewed on 16 July 2025 by
United Kingdom

verified

Excellent. Thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking. Has as much relevance today.

M Reviewed on 12 July 2025 by
Netherlands

verified

Great acting! Great show!

L Reviewed on 12 June 2025 by
United Kingdom

verified

blistering show with powerful performances

Giant is a show of the moment. It illustrates human flaw and contradictions. Dahl is both generous and creative and cruel and bigoted and is so blind to these paradoxes that he digs a greater hole for himself rather than trying to put things right. It illustrates how fixations can lead to ignorance and prejudice rather than curiosity about the other. And given the current geo politial situation is a commentary on the now. It is powerful, shocking and a must see.

S Reviewed on 08 June 2025 by
United Kingdom

verified

Thought proviking

A very well acted performance of all actors. The subject of the play was a first and so interesting. Very well written. A lot to think about and to discuss

H Reviewed on 01 June 2025 by
United Kingdom

verified

Insightful courageous human play

R Reviewed on 25 May 2025 by
United States Of America

verified

Tour de force acting

Fabulous night at the theater

W Reviewed on 22 May 2025 by
United States Of America

verified

John Lithgow was amazing

John Lithgow can do anything. He was especially brilliant at Dahl.

T Reviewed on 22 May 2025 by
United States Of America

verified

Interesting script, but please speak up lead men!

It is an interesting play - well written. I could hear all the female actors but we were struggling to hear the two lead males from the back of the dress circle. We therefore missed a lot of the ‘throwaway’ remarks, especially in the first half. Otherwise, a very good performance.

S Reviewed on 17 May 2025 by
United Kingdom

verified

Giant

A very clever and relevant play. Excellent script and performances especially John Lithgow and Rachel Stirling.

A Reviewed on 16 May 2025 by
United Kingdom

verified

The genius of John Lithgow

Giant is a wonderful play, brilliantly acted and presented, and highly topical in late 2024. The script is superb and the cast were brilliant, led by a magnificent performance from John Lithgow. Thank you to all involved for a truly memorable experience.

D Reviewed on 17 October 2024 by
Australia

verified

Very nuanced play about a character with challenging views, of particular relevance to current circumstances

Wordy, fast-moving dialogue covering a range of topics, some of which are particularly relevant under current circumstances. Many viewers may not agree with the main character’s views, but the other characters get their chance to put opposing views. Considering we saw it on only its second night, the production was fast & smooth.

P Reviewed on 10 October 2024 by
Australia

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John Lithgow in rehearsals for GIANT at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Photo by Johan Perrson.
John Lithgow in rehearsals for GIANT at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Photo by Johan Perrson.

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giant harold pinter theatre castJohn Lithgow and Aya Cash. Headshots provided by production.

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