Large-scale theater evaluation: Roald Dahl production impresses yet falls short of perfection
Savage Charm Review: ★★★★
Roald Dahl shattered our cherished images. He was charismatic, but his charm masked his poisonous beliefs. He was also an antisemite, penning a scathing article in 1983 for the New Statesman, stating, "There's a trait in the Jewish character that provokes animosity, maybe it's a lack of generosity towards non-Jews."
Mark Rosenblatt's Giant, an extensive, allegorical offering, envisions Dahl as a man nearing the end of his days, preoccupied with maintaining sales for his books and increasingly enamored with the decadent desserts his private chef whips up for his lunches.
To counter the controversy surrounding his article, publishers Tom Maschler and Jessica Stone attempted, in vain, to get Dahl to apologize, wrestling endlessly with his monstrous ego. Giant, while fictional, is inspired by real-life accounts of journalists who interviewed Dahl during that period, appalled by his overarching racist, reductionist opinions.
Giant play: Roald Dahl's wife is the most fascinating character, as she's the only one living in the home
Everything comes together to make this an unforgettable night at the theatre. John Lithgow delivers an incredible performance, spewing poisonous rhetoric effortlessly, such as, "Even a stinker like Hitler didn't just pick on them for no reason." Elliot Levey's Maschler exudes stress, leaving you on edge, and Tessa Bonham offers comical relief as the in-house cook Hallie, constantly calling Dahl "Mr D."
Rachael Stirling's Felicity Crossland steals the show as Dahl's wife, because she's the only one who has to stay when everyone else finishes work and returns to their lives. Stirling captures Crossland's predicament, challenging Dahl but being love blind, as she abandoned her husband of 30 years for a decade-long affair with Dahl.
Piers Morgan Squares Off on Dahl Books
Giant play director Nicholas Hytner expertly balances grimness with humor and energy. The high-ceilinged period home, undergoing renovation, injects freshness and rebirth amidst the darkness, while the cast constantly enjoys the mid-afternoon sun, Chablis flowing freely. The message that horrors can happen before our very eyes is effective, though the tinned birdsong feels unnecessary.
Giant Offers a Revelatory Character Study
While Rosenblatt may have been overly concerned with giving the production a polished feel, the play nonetheless offers a fascinating character study: Dahl wasn't who we thought he was, but despite his abhorrent opinions, Rosenblatt makes Dahl believable. Monstrously contradictory but painfully real.
Giant runs at the Harold Pinter Theatre until 2 August. Read more: To Olivia review - Roald Dahl biopic is a little too cozy.
About the Playwright
Mark Rosenblatt, playwright and author of Giant, burst into the limelight at the age of 47 with his critically acclaimed debut play, which won multiple prestigious awards, including the Olivier Award. Giant delves into complex themes such as antisemitism and the controversy surrounding Roald Dahl, one of the world's most beloved children's authors.
Key elements of "Giant":- Setting: The play takes place in the summer of 1983, on the heels of the release of The Witches.- Plot: A confrontation between Dahl and two Jewish publishers over his antisemitic article.- Themes: Antisemitism, controversy, charisma versus dangerous rhetoric.- Inspiration: Real-life accounts of Dahl's interactions and his 1983 essay on Israel and the First Lebanon War.
- The play, Giant, penned by Mark Rosenblatt, presents Roald Dahl's wife, played by Rachael Stirling, as a captivating character, as she is the only one who remains in their home, embodying a conundrum of love and challenge.
- The fascinating character study in Giant reveals a disconcerting truth: despite his bigotry and alarming opinions, Roald Dahl is made believable by playwright Mark Rosenblatt, showcasing a menacing contradiction that is painfully real.
- To add an interval of entertainment and humor to the heavy themes of Giant, director Nicholas Hytner cleverly balances the grimness of Roald Dahl's repugnant views with moments of levity, such as the cast's enjoyment of the mid-afternoon sun and Chablis during performance breaks.
