“Giant” by Mark Rosenblatt at the Royal Court Theatre in London: Arts Intel Report

On a summer afternoon in 1983, in his family home, Roald Dahl faces the consequences of his actions. Despite his success with books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach, the author is accused of anti-Semitism. Confronted by his publishers, he must choose between making a public apology or risking his reputation. Inspired by real events, Mark Rosenblatt’s dark comedy—his playwriting debut—delves into the controversial themes embedded in Dahl’s work. Directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring the fabulous John Lithgow as Dahl, the play arrives amid recent scrutiny of the author’s beliefs. Just last year, hundreds of words in his books were altered or removed to eliminate racist, ableist, and sexist language. —Jeanne Malle