Stars Gather for Giant Broadway Opening Night as John Lithgow Takes on Roald Dahl

Aya Cash, Elliot Levey and Rachael Stirling join Lithgow in the new Broadway play, with Sarah Paulson and Bobby Cannavale among the opening night guests

Photo Op

by Sophia Rubino • Mar 24, 2026

John Lithgow, Rachael Stirling, Elliot Levey and Aya Cash
(Photo by Sergio Villarini for Broadway.com)

What to Know

John Lithgow stars as Roald Dahl in Giant, a new play written by Mark Rosenblatt and directed by Nicholas Hytner, opening with a red carpet premiere
The cast includes Aya Cash, Elliot Levey, Rachael Stirling and Stella Everett, with the story centered on backlash to a controversial Dahl book review
Opening night drew celebrity guests including Sarah Paulson, Mike Birbiglia and Bobby Cannavale, highlighting strong industry support

The cast of Giant—John Lithgow, Aya Cash, Elliot Levey, Rachael Stirling and Stella Everett—stepped out onto the red carpet for the play’s opening night. Directed by Nicholas Hytner and written by Mark Rosenblatt, Lithgow plays children’s author Roald Dahl. The story unfolds over the course of one afternoon, after a book review Dahl wrote causes major backlash. Lithgow and the company, along with Hytner and Rosenblatt, stunned on the carpet. They were joined by many supportive celebs, including Sarah Paulson, Mike Birbiglia and Bobby Cannavale.