Giant – Royal Opera House review

Last Updated on October 16, 2025

Fee Fi Fo Fum I smell the story of an Irishman

Following it’s world Premiere at the Aldeburgh Festival last year, Sarah Angliss’s Giant has made its way to the Lindbury theatre.  Giant is based on the true story of 18^th century “Irish Giant” Charles Byrne. Byrne was an enormously tall man who made his living as a performer. Byrne died young and his corpse was taken by a surgeon, Dr John Hunter who stripped the flesh to display the skeleton.

The Opera traces the history closely, we open to seeing Hunter mourning the corpse of his son before trotting off to see Byrne Perform. Byrne’s manager “Rooker” introduces him as a marvel and suspense builds before Byrne steps out from behind the curtain. Its obsession at first sight for Hunter and he returns frequently, nominally to examine and help Byrne but mostly to feed his own fascination with the Giant’s gigantic body. Byrne’s health rapidly lapses, we frequently see him bleeding and eventually Hunter offers Byrne money for his corpse. At this stage the relationship collapses, Byrne refuses and makes plans to save his corpse. Hunter lets Byrne know that one way or another, he will get his corpse.

Giant is a performance of contrasts. For one, the huge physical size difference between Byrne and the rest of the cast, made using thick platforms and raised stage. It works better in person than in photos. Hunter’s wealth, sharp language and austere world view sit side by side with Byrne’s penury, poetry and magical vision. Byrne is viewed as a god or something close to by some and Hunter a devil by many. Ross Sutherland’s libretto captures this well and the music intertwines 21^st and 18^th century instruments.

The music of Giant feels aimed to create the atmosphere of Charles Byrne’s life than something which can be listened to in isolation. There are achingly beautiful, touching moments in it. Particularly Reiko Ichise’s playing of the Viola Da Gamba, sometimes pizzicato, sometimes arco, always stunning. There’s a moment with a theremin, a jingly set of mechanical bells. However, amidst the endlessly creative ways of making interesting textures, and economical methods of manufacturing misery,  don’t expect anything like a memorable tune. Not a show you can whistle to on the way home.  

The staging, directed by Sarah Fahie and designed by Hyemi Shin, places all the action between two rooms, John Hunter’s surgery/ school and Byrne’s theatre/ bedroom. As the plot develops, the staging gets updated with extra props being carried on, developing the two men’s relationship and Byrne’s lodging. Twice the audience is addressed as if they are a lecture hall of students, admonished for whispering (obviously pre-recorded and piped through, for who would whisper in the Lindbury…) Finally we are instructed in how to dig for corpses.

The show is partly sung, partly spoken. Karim Sulayman is wonderful as Charles Byrne. Sulayman is immediately sympathetic, his acting and natural movement all supplement the gorgeous textures of his sung voice. Sulayman switches between falsetto and tenor range comfortably. Jonathan Gunthorpe is sinister but unexaggerated as John Hunter, excited to measure Byrne’s limbs, forthright and full voiced in the singing. His large voice in the confines of the Lindbury is striking.

Steven Beard plays Hunter’s grave-robbing assistant Howison. Beard is stolid and taciturn until the seal is broken with his striking and memorable speech on how to steal the corpses of the dead. Galina Averina is a stunningly voiced Rooker. Melanie Pappenheim and Anna Cavaliero do good work performing small roles, singing atmospheric backing and rearranging the stage.

In spite of its may exposed elements of theatricality (the orchestra is exposed and no attempt is made to hide the theatre) Giant sucked me inexorably into the world of Charles Byrne. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the show.

Giant runs until March 14th.

Royal Opera House
Bow Street
Covent Garden,
London
WC2E 9DD