Stage and screen star Romola Garai has confirmed that she won’t be reprising her acclaimed role in hit Royal Court Theatre drama Giant when it transfers into the West End.
Talking to The Sunday Times this weekend, the Scoop and Vigil star said that she will not be joining the West End transfer because she needs to put in some family time, doing the school run after nearly a full year of working evenings and weekends in the theatre. “It’s complicated, but only you can do the emotional temperature check of when you’ve spent too much time outside the home”, she said.
The year of working evenings and weekends is largely due to smash-hit Almeida Theatre drama The Years, which Romola is currently starring in at the West End’s Harold Pinter in London.
Based on Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux’s novel Les Années, and adapted and directed by Eline Arbo, The Years is now playing at the Harold Pinter Theatre until 19 April 2025.
Alongside Romola Garai, the cast features Deborah Findlay (The Split, Orlando), Gina McKee (Dear England, Notting Hill), Anjli Mohindra (Noises Off) and Harmony Rose-Bremner (Hamnet).
At the Almeida Theatre, the production enjoyed a tremendous response from London’s theatre critics, with five stars from the Independent, Financial Times, i News, The Stage and the Guardian.
In Giant, about children’s author Roald Dahl, Romola played Jessie Stone, Dahl’s Jewish American publisher. She has been nominated for a Best Supporting Performer in a Play Award at the 2025 WhatsOnStage Awards for her performance.
Mark Rosenblatt’s drama, directed by Nicholas Hytner, premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 2024, and will transfer to the West End’s Harold Pinter Theatre from 26 April to 2 August 2025.
Cast confirmed to move with the production into the West End include John Lithgow (3rd Rock From the Sun), as author Roald Dahl; Elliot Levey (Cold War, Patriots, Good) as Tom Maschler, Dahl’s British Jewish Publisher; Olivier Award-nominee Rachael Stirling (The Divine Mrs S) as Felicity Crosland, Roald Dahl’s fiancée; and Richard Hope (Hijack) as Wally Saunders, Dahl’s handyman.
There’s also talk of Giant transferring to Broadway, with John Lithgow confirming last week that discussions are underway.
The Years is playing at the Harold Pinter Theatre until 19 April 2025.
Giant is playing at the Harold Pinter Theatre from 26 April to 2 August 2025.
Book tickets to The Years at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London
More about tickets to Giant at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London
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