6 / 10
Only the gardener appears to have ever met Dahl before “Giant” begins. Bette Davis in “Dinner” delivers her only faceless performance. She knew that to create a character who could deal with a nutcase-boss she needed to ignore the tantrums, brush off the arrogance, be almost invisible. Davis should have given acting lessons to Levey and Stirling who react in outrage and horror to every mal mot delivered by Lithgow.
7 / 10
At the center of it all is Lithgow, who delivers a commanding, carefully modulated performance. His Dahl is theatrical and domineering, by turns mischievous, bellicose, and quietly menacing — a man who delights in belittling those around him, needling them with pointed, often deliberately provocative questions. It is, in every sense, a gigantic performance — and a reminder of Lithgow’s ability to command a stage. The casting carries an added layer of irony: Lithgow is also set to play Dumbledore in HBO’s upcoming “Harry Potter” series, even as author J.K. Rowling remains a lightning rod for controversy.
For his performance as Roald Dahl in Giant, John Lithgow has broken records with his third Tony Award, making him the oldest man to ever receive an award in an acting category.
John Lithgow took home a Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for GIANT. After leaving the stage at Radio City Music Hall, he checked in with BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge to share his initial reaction! Watch in this video.
The Drama Bookshop is partnering with the Broadway production of GIANT to give students a free copy of Mark Rosenblatt's Tony-nominated play with a valid student ID, while supplies last.
John Lithgow has won the 2026 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for GIANT.
The Authors Guild Foundation (AGF) will launch “Page to Stage”, an intimate salon series on bringing literary works and the figures behind them to the stage with bestselling author Harlan Coben in conversation with playwright Mark Rosenblatt.
Watch in this video as 2026 Tony Awards nominee John Lithgow chats more about seeing old friends, his giant journey with the company of Giant, and so much more.
Watch in this video as 2026 Tony Awards nominee Aya cash chats more about her bonkers Giant cast, what an honor it is to be in this Broadway season, and so much more.
Four-time Tony nominated and Olivier Award-winning Best Play, GIANT, has recouped its $5.6 million Broadway capitalization just 10 weeks into its planned 16-week limited engagement on Broadway.
Giant, the new play starring John Lithgow as Roald Dahl, will be released in cinemas later this year. The Olivier Award-winning and Tony-nominated play was recorded at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre.
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play | John Lithgow |
| 2026 | Drama League Awards | OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY | Giant |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play | John Lithgow |
| 2026 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Play | Giant |
| 2026 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Nicholas Hytner |
| 2026 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play | John Lithgow |
| 2026 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play | Aya Cash |
| 2026 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Giant |
| 2026 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Walter Trarbach |
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