From the minds behind The Highest Step in the World, Tomorrow’s Child and The Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst comes a new show of epic proportions. GIANT tells the amazing story of professional wrestler Andre the Giant, one of the most recognizable and beloved public figures ever.
Packed with captivating and surprising theatrical imagery, GIANT unfolds as a boisterous alternative to the bio-pic. Creators David van Belle and Eric Rose have chosen to stage an unstageable protagonist—7’4” and 520 pounds—by creating the show with a cast of five women, in which theatrical scale becomes the language with which to express a the extraordinary life of a man of extraordinary size. The play makes full use of the inherent theatricality of professional wrestling, bringing an audience ringside to experience the raw physicality of a match, while they simultaneously discover the details of Andre’s giant sized life.
Created for a city with deep roots in the culture of professional wrestling (Stampede Wrestling, the Hart family), GIANT is a show designed to engage both wrestling aficionados and those who knew him only as the beloved giant Fezzik in Rob Reiner’s classic film, The Princess Bride. The show tracks his discovery in France by Quebecois promoter Frank Valois, his early days at Montreal’s Forum and his rise to superstardom in the coke-and-cable-tv-fuelled early days of the World Wrestling Federation.
Oh, and there’s also the true story of him being driven to school as a boy by Samuel Beckett.
GIANT, whose design will incorporate an actual wrestling ring, is being envisioned for staging in both traditional proscenium houses and in alternative off-site venues. GIANT is currently in development, with a target production in 2017-2018. Ghost River Theatre is actively seeking production partners to support the development and production process. An early reading draft of the text will be available May 1, 2016. Please email Eric Rose for a copy.