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London’s most prestigious new writing theatre the Royal Court hasn’t really had a big hit in years. Or it hadn’t until new artistic director David Byrne got off to a rollicking start in his very first season with Mark Rosenblatt’s smash Roald Dahl drama Giant. Sold out for months, the play – which stars US heavyweight John Lithgow as the problematic children’s author – has been the hottest ticket of the autumn.
Hopes of a transfer have been high, but have rather hinged on whether Lithgow – who is 79, not shy of work offers, and lives in America – would be willing to return for an extended run.
Well great news: he’s in, as Giant transfers to the West End’s Harold Pinter Theatre next spring for a three-and-a-bit-month stint.
Elliot Levey will also reprise his role as Dahl’s publisher Tom Maschler, who attempts to stage an intervention one tense afternoon at Dahl’s rambling country home, in an effort to deal with the fallout from an antisemitic book review his star author has written. The Royal Court run of Nicholas Hytner’s production featured an extremely high powered cast that included Rachael Stirling and Romola Garai - it might be a bit much to hope the entire gang gets back together (though don’t rule it out). But so long as Lithgow is on board as the charming, vicious, contrarian Dahl, we’re all in for a treat.
Giant will run at the Harold Pinter Theatre, Apr 26-Aug 2 2025. For more information go to gianttheplay.com
Read our four-star review of its Royal Court run.
The best new London theatre shows to book for in 2024 and 2025.