Giant: A Towering Achievement in Political Theatre
Roald Dahl: “Would you buy an Israeli avocado? Or, if you didn’t would that make you anti-semitic?”
Hallie (the Dahl household cook): “Does the avocado know it’s Israeli?”
It takes a lot to excite a seasoned critic these days, but occasionally something comes along that makes you want to leap from your seat and cheer with absolute joy. Giant is one such production.
Set in 1983 at Gypsy House, Roald Dahl’s famed residence, we find the author (John Lithgow) more irritable than usual as renovations confine him to the dining room. Here, he reviews artwork for his upcoming book The Witches alongside his UK agent Tom Maschler (Elliot Levey) and fiancée Felicity Crossland (Rachael Stirling).
They await Jessica Stone (Aya Cash), a representative from Dahl’s new American publisher, who arrives concerned about Dahl’s review of Tony Clifton’s God Cried – a harrowing account of the 1982 Beirut siege by Israeli forces. Dahl’s review, filled with broad statements about Israel and Jewish people, has sparked accusations of antisemitism, which he doesn’t readily dismiss.
Stone, backed by Maschler, urges Dahl to apologise for his comments – something he steadfastly refuses. What unfolds is a riveting discourse on his position, the Israeli military’s actions, antisemitism, and whether racial generalisations hold any validity.
With Israel-Palestine conflicts dominating today’s headlines, it’s sobering to witness similar debates occurring four decades ago. As Sting once noted, “history will teach us nothing.”
Yet this play about antisemitism, racism, war, and identity isn’t the sombre affair one might expect. Mark Rosenblatt, in a breathtaking playwriting debut, delivers a dynamic, well-paced, and surprisingly hilarious piece that exposes contentious subjects through humour. Without preaching or directing our thinking, the play presents Dahl as resolute in his stance while uncertain if his anti-Israeli views are inherently antisemitic. His counterpart, Stone, a proud Jew and defender of Israel, argues he cannot blame an entire nation for the actions of some. Both are entrenched in their views; both are simultaneously right and wrong.
The production resists portraying Dahl as a simple villain. Instead, it reveals the nuance behind deeply held convictions. At the center is Lithgow’s embodiment of Dahl – not a showboating performance but something delicately natural. The supporting cast matches this deftness, creating something truly magnificent to witness. Nicholas Hytner’s direction guides this ship masterfully, though Rosenblatt’s script remains the true star – delivering two hours of thought-provoking debate that challenges your perspectives while prompting genuine laughter.
Verdict: A resonant, provocative, and timely play that proves funnier, more engaging, and more insightful than it has any right to be.
For Lizzie Loveridge’s review of Giant at the Royal Court in 2024 Go Here.
Production Notes
GIANT
Written by Mark Rosenblatt
Directed by Nicholas Hytner
Cast
Starring:
John Lithgow
Rachael Stirling
Elliot Levey
Aya Cash
Richard Hope
Tessa Bonham Jones
Creatives
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Designer: Bob Crowley
Lighting Designer: Anna Watson
Sound Designer:
Alexandra Faye Braithwaite
Information
Running Time: Two hours 20 minutes with an interval
Booking to 2nd August 2025
Theatre:
Harold Pinter
Panton Street
London SW1Y 4SW
Tube : Piccadilly Circus
Telephone: 03330 096 690
Website: haroldpintertheatre.co.uk
Reviewed by Sonny Waheed at the Harold Pinter Theatre
on 1st May 2025
