An evening with esteemed actor and alumnus John Lithgow

On Monday 4 November, LAMDA co-hosted an event with The Harvard Club of the United Kingdom and the US-UK Fulbright Commission. 

Giant, a new play by Mark Rosenblatt directed by Nicholas Hytner, explores the complex controversy surrounding world-renowned children’s author Roald Dahl’s and his antisemitic writings. The evening was a unique opportunity to watch John Lithgow - a LAMDA Fulbright scholar and Harvard alumnus— perform on the London stage, portraying Dahl in this sold-out production. 

Following the performance, invited guests gathered for an intimate reception at the Royal Court Theatre, featuring speeches by Yuko Thomas from The Harvard Club of The United Kingdom, Deputy Chief of Mission Matthew Palmer, Principal and CEO of LAMDA Mark O’Thomas, and John Lithgow himself. 

John then very generously participated in an insightful and reflective ‘In Conversation’, which was hosted by LAMDA’s current Fulbright scholar Jaemon Crosby. During this engaging talk, John reflected fondly on his time in London and at LAMDA in the 1960s and talked openly, offering his thoughts on acting, character building, and his experiences portraying well-known historical figures on stage and screen. 

We were honoured to have distinguished guests, Deputy Chief of Mission Matthew Palmer and Cultural Attache Pam deVolder from the US Embassy in attendance, alongside LAMDA’s Vice-President, Patricia Hodge OBE.   

This evening was a true celebration of the rich cultural connections between the US and UK and was generously supported by the Harvard Club UK.