Giant Review: landmark Roald Dahl play comes to cinemas, bringing his antisemitic legacy into focus
In cinemas worldwide from 19 November 2026 - filmed live at the Harold Pinter Theatre, London
⭐⭐⭐ | PR - Screener
"Never before in the history of man has a race of people switched so rapidly from being much-pitied victims to barbarous murderers." [Roald Dahl in Not A Chivalrous Affair, Literary Review, 1983]
There are very few contemporary playwrights that have dominated the global theatre scene in such a sort space of time, as Mark Rosenblatt has done with Giant. The play first premiered at London's Royal Court Theatre in 2024, winning three Olivier Awards before transferring to the Harold Pinter Theatre (2025), and later to Broadway's Music Box Theatre (2026). Now, it comes to cinemas worldwide from November 19th, filmed live at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
Directed by Nicholas Hytner, John Lithgow leads the production as Roald Dahl, as we see a dramatised encounter inspired by a 1983 controversy surrounding the children's author. The quote pasted above is from the Literary Review, who published Dahl's antisemitic article Not A Chivalrous Affair following Israel's invasion of Beirut in the Lebanese civil war. And in Rosenblatt's play, we see Dahl visited by a Jewish publishing representative, who seeks a public apology for these statements - for the sake of his future writing.
John Lithgow is a cruelly articulate Roald Dahl, who prompts us to consider the notions of 'cancel culture', and whether a writer's work can be separated from their social standing. He is quite the cynical force, where the space almost functions like a solar system, other characters orbiting around Lithgow's towering presence. Importantly, he mellows when he mentions his son Theo, who had suffered a brain injury at four months old. Though this moment is fleeting, as Roald becomes fractionally too spiteful through Act II, treading into theatrical villainy rather than a balanced, human character study. Striking and distressing though, nonetheless.
Publishing representative Jessie Stone enters soon into the narrative, as Aya Cash's somewhat shouty entrance lacks in the naturalism of her co-stars. However, given that she has walked into a foreign, potentially hostile house, the notion that she may have to overcompensate is interesting to consider. Her sparring matches with Lithgow are uncomfortable to watch, and we quickly sympathise with Jessie's physical repulsion. Especially through her Act I finale monologue, which is impassioned and condemning in the most extraordinary way.
As seen in the stills provided, the Dahl's house is under construction (designed by Bob Crowley), as his pragmatic and grounding fiancée Felicity (Rachael Stirling) renovates to add a bit of her character into their home. This appears to double as a metaphor (alongside Alexandra Faye Braithwaite's audio interruptions of drills etc.) to reflect on how unsettled their family life is, as a consequence to Roald's article.
Performances across the board strengthen as the play develops. We see a disassociation through Elliot Levey's role as publisher Tom Maschler, a British-Jewish man who has endured centuries of passive and direct antisemitism, including remarks from Dahl. He can have a tendency to jump on top of lines a fraction too quickly, but his stoicism from the ethical conflict with his long-term friend is quietly tragic.
Brief appearances from Tessa Bonham Jones provide some of the recording's best scenes as housekeeper Hallie, whose plucky Australian accent brings a jollity to an often heavy script. Her indifference to political matters mark an interesting third foundation to the play, honestly charming and sincere in her appearances.
Rosenblatt's text doesn't snake around challenging topics, where Roald's directness swings the play into action remarkably fast. Including an observation on his novel The Witches, which could be seen as analogous to antisemitic stereotypes, consciously or not. His opinion refuses to shift, and the play does get stuck in his unwillingness to another perspective, thus lacking in a new avenue in which the narrative can go.
First performed during the wake of the Gaza genocide, Mark Rosenblatt's Giant condemns the scapegoating of Jewish people in response to Israel's military action. We see these present-day parallels against the show's 1980s backdrop, although beyond its semi-fictionalised expansion of Roald Dahl's beliefs, we don't gain a lot for the experience. But we do see one of our childhood 'giants' in an unforgiving light, raising an important debate on free speech and the power of public influence.
In partnership with Trafalgar Releasing, Giant will be screened in more than 900 cinemas across 18 countries from 19 November 2026, including the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and select international territories. See your local cinema for availability.
