The day has finally come when we can enjoy *Giant*—which swept the board at the 2025 Laurence Olivier Awards, winning three top honours (Best New Play, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor)—on the big screen.
The work features the world famous and widely beloved author Roald Dahl /1916-1990, the author of *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* (1964), *The Big Friendly Giant* (1982) and *Matilda* (1988). Especially it is themed on a scandalous episode from the later years of his life. American actor John Lithgow (Shrek (2001), The Pope (2024), etc.), who played Dahl, won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Play for the Broadway production in addition to the Olivier Award, and commented: ‘This production has had the greatest impact on audiences of any play I have ever appeared in.’
This play marks the playwriting debut of British director Mark Rosenblatt and is directed by Nicholas Hytner—who served as the Artistic Director of the National Theatre (NT) in London for many years and built its golden age—the current Artistic Director at the Bridge Theatre, near London Bridge in the city centre.
Synopsis:
In the summer of 1983, children’s author Roald Dahl was busy finalising the proofs for his book *The Witches*. However, after purportedly making anti-Semitic remarks in a review of a book dealing with the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, Dahl became the target of criticism and threats. Those around him moved to contain the scandal and urged him to apologise. Amidst this, one afternoon whilst Dahl and his wife were staying at his parents’ home, a Jewish-American woman—a sales representative for his US publisher—visited to demand an apology, sparking an unexpected confrontation that escalated into a heated argument.
Despite his illustrious career as a writer, remarks made by Dahl in a 1983 review for *Literary Review* of the book *God Cried*—which dealt with Israel’s invasion of Beirut, Lebanon in 1982—sparked controversy over their purportedly ‘anti-Semitic’ nature. He faced a barrage of criticism, and this continued to have various repercussions, such as the cancellation of plans to issue a commemorative coin marking the centenary of his birth.
L->R Roald Dahl (John Rithgow), Tom Maschler (Elliot Levey), Jessie Stone (Romola Garai)
*Giant* condenses the controversy over his remarks—which continues to be discussed in various contexts to this day—into a single, intense argument at a lunch gathering with family and friends. As one person close to him remarked, ‘He probably wanted to provoke them, just as he always did at the dinner table’, and as Lithgow, playing Dahl, can be seen shouting angrily at an American sales representative in the film, it seems he certainly did have a fiery temperament. However, I feel that listening to his side of the story provides an excellent opportunity for us to reflect anew on ‘anti-Semitism’—which has long been a source of controversy—and indeed on the contradictions inherent in the very structure of that (pro-versus-anti) dichotomy itself.
It is a complex, intractable issue where one cannot simply draw a clear line between right and wrong; moreover, in today’s climate of heightened sensitivity to harassment, it is a topic that would likely be met with hesitation, avoided, or glossed over at the very stage of bringing it up for discussion. Yet, by framing it as an internal family conversation—albeit an argument—we are able to witness an open exchange of views, the sort rarely seen in public. As someone in the audience listening to both sides’ arguments, I am grateful to be able to participate in the debate without having to take sides.
Felicity Crosland (Rachael Stirling)
Since attempting to reach a resolution is undoubtedly highly fraught might the aim of this production not be to encourage us to ‘put ourselves in both parties’ shoes and, on that basis, at least try to confront this difficult issue’?
Interestingly, the people involved in this production—which centres on the theme of anti-Semitism—namely the playwright (Rosenblatt), the director (Hytner) and Elliott Levy, who won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as Tom Maschler in this production—are all British Jews. One might say that they are publicly questioning their own identities and roots.
L->R Felicity Crosland (Rachael Stirling) and Roald Dahl (John Rithgow)
Aside from the unresolved questions surrounding anti-Semitism, the play is packed with highlights; first and foremost, it is a delight that the entire production is imbued with a thoroughly British atmosphere from start to finish.
An afternoon lunch with guests, homemade lemonade, the meticulous tending of the garden, and the grumpy character of Dahl—a big shot feared by those around him as ‘the Giant’—all seem like figures you might find anywhere in British society. His sharp-witted wife Felicity (Rachel Sterling), who loves him dearly, is also quintessentially British; and above all, the wry, sarcastic humour so characteristic of the British, coupled with the brilliant, quick-witted banter in response, is simply marvellous—so I hope you’ll enjoy those aspects too.
★★★★★ THE TIMES
★★★★★ DAILY MAIL
★★★★★ MAIL ON SUNDAY
★★★★★ THE TELEGRAPH
★★★★★ OBSERVER
★★★★★ THE MIRROR
★★★★★ TIME OUT
★★★★★ THE STANDARD
★★★★★ SUNDAY EXPRSS
Jessie Stone (Romola Garai), Roald Dahl (John Rithgow)
Schedule
HOKKAIDO
TOHO Cinemas Susukino November 19 (Thurs) ＆ 11/22 (Sun)
TOKYO
TOHO Cinemas Hibiya November 19 (Thurs)~26 (Thurs)
Kichijoji Odeon November 19 (Thurs)~26 (Thurs)
AEON Cinema Musashi Murayama November 20 (Fri)~26 (Thurs)
Morc Asagaya December 11(Fri)~17(Thurs)
KANAGAWA
Yokosuka HUMAX Cinemas November 19 (Thurs) ＆ 11/22 (Sun)
SAITAMA
AEON Cinema Kawaguchi November 20 (Fri)~26 (Thurs)
IBARAKI
AEON Cinema Moriya November 20 (Fri)~26 (Thurs)
AICHI
Midland Square Cinema November 20 (Fri)~26(Thurs)
AEON Cinema Toyota KiTARA November 20 (Fri)~26(Thurs)
OSAKA
TOHO Cinemas Umeda November 19 (Thurs)~26 (Thurs)
KYOTO
Kyoto Cinema November 27 (Fri)～December 2 (Thurs）
FUKUOKA
TOHO Cinemas Lalaport Fukuoka November 19 (Thurs) ＆ 11/22 (Sun)
KUMAMOTO
Kumamoto Piccadilly November 20 (Fri)~26(Thurs)
KAGOSHIMA
Gardens Cinema December 5 (Sat) & 13 (Sun)
More details：https://www.culture-ville.jp/giant