John Lithgow to play Roald Dahl in ‘Giant’ on Broadway

The actor reprises his Olivier Award-winning performance from London in Mark Rosenblatt’s acclaimed play, which won an Olivier of its own for Best Play.

Summary

• John Lithgow will star as Roald Dahl in the new play Giant from March 11 2026
• Lithgow previously won the Olivier Award for playing the role in London
• The play follows a real-life scandal that affected Dahl's career

Emmy and Tony Award winner John Lithgow will return to Broadway this spring in Giant, a new drama about children’s author Roald Dahl making its U.S. debut after two acclaimed London runs. Performances begin on March 11 at a theatre to be announced.

Giant takes place over the course of one afternoon at Dahl’s family home, shortly before he publishes his novel The Witches and shortly after he publishes an article that draws accusations of antisemitism. Mark Rosenblatt’s play grapples with Dahl’s contentious legacy as the author decides whether to apologize or risk his career.

"Being a part of Giant from its inception has been the most challenging and exciting stage experience of my career,” said Lithgow. “I play the central character of Roald Dahl, a man of dizzying complexity, on a day of crisis in his life. The story takes place forty years ago, but it resonates powerfully with events of our present day. No play I’ve ever been in has had such an impact on audiences. I am so proud and honored to play this part."

The play premiered under the direction of Nicholas Hytner at London’s Royal Court Theatre in fall 2024, winning three Olivier Awards: Best Play, Best Actor for Lithgow, and Best Supporting Actor for Elliot Levey as publisher Tom Maschler. The production then transferred to the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End, with most of the cast reprising their roles.

Alongside Lithgow and Levey, the original West End cast includes Rachael Stirling as Felicity Crosland, Tessa Bonham Jones as Hallie, Aya Cash as Jessica Stone, and Richard Hope as Wally Saunders. The complete cast joining Lithgow, and creative team joining Hytner and designer Bob Crowley, for the Broadway production has yet to be confirmed.

Giant “announces itself as a colossus,” London Theatre’s critic wrote in a five-star review. “The drama, set 40 years ago but blisteringly topical to our times now, has been seasoned by the deepening of John Lithgow’s altogether astonishing performance.”

“My debut play Giant was written on spec in my kitchen with no assurance it would ever get produced at all,” said Rosenblatt in a statement. “So, to have it premiere at London’s mighty Royal Court Theatre before transferring to the West End was truly life-changing. And now, to open on Broadway, led again by the peerless John Lithgow, is truly the stuff of dreams - I can’t wait to share Giant and Nick Hytner’s exceptional production with New York audiences.”

Check back for information on Giant tickets on New York Theatre Guide.

Photo credit: John Lithgow. (Photo by Kim Lang)