INTRODUCING THE ‘BIG FRIENDLY GIANT’ ON STAGE
- FIRST LOOK PHOTOS RELEASED OF THE BFG AT THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
- OPENING IN THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON FROM 25 NOVEMBER WITH PRESS NIGHT ON TUESDAY 9 DECEMBER
- FEATURING PUPPETRY DESIGN BY TOBY OLIÉ IN A MAGICAL NEW PRODUCTION DIRECTED BY RSC CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR DANIEL EVANS
- A ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY, CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE, SINGAPORE REPERTORY THEATRE - ESPLANADE THEATRES ON THE BAY, AND ROALD DAHL STORY COMPANY PRODUCTION
DOWNLOAD IMAGE HERE
To celebrate the opening of The BFG’s in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre on Tuesday 25 November, co-producers the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), Chichester Festival Theatre, the Roald Dahl Story Company are excited to unveil an exclusive first glimpse of the ‘Big Friendly Giant’ as he appears in the magical new stage adaptation, based on the much-loved novel by Roald Dahl, adapted by Tom Wells and directed by RSC Co-Artistic Director, Daniel Evans.
Featuring Puppetry Design and Direction by Toby Olié and Costume Design by Kinnetia Isidore, the newly released image offers audiences previously unseen insight into how one of the most iconic characters in literature is brought to life on stage.
Pictured from left to right are puppeteers Elisa de Grey (BFG arm), Shaun McCourt (BFG Body), Ben Thompson (BFG head) and Onioluwa Taiwo (BFG arm), who – together – operate the largest version of the BFG puppet, which stands at an impressive 16 ft at full stage height. They are joined by actor John Leader who shares the title role with his six fellow puppeteers and who voices the character throughout. Completing the ensemble are Aki Nakagawa and Alisa Dalling who are pictured operating the smallest version of the BFG.
Commenting on the process, Puppetry Designer and Director Toby Olié said: “The BFG is, without doubt, one of the most recognizable and best-loved characters in all of literature. And so, for us, it was incredibly important that our version felt true to Dahl’s original creation whilst also offering something fresh and surprising for contemporary audiences. By playing with the theatrical language of scale, we have been able to experiment with different forms and varieties of puppetry, from the tall and terrifying to the mighty but miniscule. The playfulness of the puppeteers, together with the warmth and generosity John Leader brings to the title role, has been key to unlocking the magic of this very special character, which, we hope, audiences will continue to dream about long after the performance ends!”
Director Daniel Evans added: “When we first started talking about how we might adapt this incredible story for the stage, one of the most exciting questions we kept coming back to as a creative team was how we represent power and the perception of power on stage. In our production of ‘The BFG’, the audience’s perception of scale changes according to how powerful a character might feel within a given moment. So, for instance, you can be a giant like The BFG and still feel powerless against a bully like Bloodbottler. You can be The Queen of all England and still feel helpless to affect any real and meaningful change in the world. Equally, you can be a tiny orphan like Sophie and feel more powerful than an entire pack of norphan-guzzling giants, with a little bit of bravery and imagination. That’s, ultimately, what I want audiences to take away from this production – that imagination can be its own superpower!”
Based on Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s novel, this darkly comic and mischievous new stage adaptation by Tom Wells (The Kitchen Sink, Jumpers for Goalposts) with dramaturgy and additional material by Jenny Worton will open at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon for a 11-week run over the festive season in 2025.
The BFG runs between 25 November 2025 – 7 February 2026 with Press Night on Tuesday 9 December 2025. The production visits Chichester Festival Theatre from Monday 9 March – Saturday 11 April 2026, after which it will transfer to Singapore’s Esplanade Theatre for a limited run from Wednesday 22 April 2026, in a new co-producing partnership with Singapore Repertory Theatre and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.
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The full cast includes Parkey Abeyratne, J.R. Ballantyne, Sonya Cullingford, Ailsa Dalling, Fred Davis, Elisa de Grey, Lottie Johnson, Philip Labey, Helena Lymbery, Shaun McCourt, Corey Mitchell, Aki Nakagawa, Richard Riddell, Luke Sumner, Onioluwa Taiwo and Ben Thompson, Sargon Yelda.
They are joined by Elsie Laslett, Ellemie Shivers and Martha Bailey Vine in the role of Sophie and Maisy Lee, Charlotte Jones and Uma Patel in the role of Kimberley.
The full creative team includes Set Designer, Vicki Mortimer; Costume Designer, Kinnetia Isidore; Lighting Designer, Zoe Spurr; Video Designer, Akhila Krishnan; Illusions, Chris Fisher; Composer, Oleta Haffner; Sound Designer, Carolyn Downing; Choreographer and Movement Director, Ira Mandela Siobhan; Puppetry Co-Designer, Daisy Beattie; and Senior Set Design Associate, Matt Hellyer. The Casting Director is Christopher Worrall CDG; and the Children’s Casting Director is Verity Naughton CDG.
One extraordinary night, a young orphan named Sophie is snatched by a giant and taken far away to Giant Country.
There she learns that human-eating giants are guzzling 'norphans' the world over. But she soon discovers that her new friend, the BFG, is different – he's a dream-catching, snozzcumber-munching gentle soul who refuses to eat humans.
While other giants wreak havoc, the BFG ignites Sophie's imagination, and they devise a daring plan to save children everywhere. In the end, the smallest human bean and the gentlest giant prove that a dream can change the world.
Tickets for The BFG at the RSC are available from £16. Discounts are available for Over 65s, Disabled People and Carers, Families, UK School and College Groups and Groups of 10 or more. Terms and conditions apply. See the website rsc.org.uk or call the Box Office on 01789 331111 for more details and to buy tickets.
ENDS
For further enquiries, please contact: Kate Evans 07920 244 434, kate.evans@rsc.org.uk or Bethany Arnold, bethany.arnold@rsc.org.uk
X: @TheRSC
Instagram: @thersc and @roald_dahl
Royal Shakespeare Company incorporated under Royal Charter. Registered charity No. 212481
LISTING INFORMATION
Roald Dahl’s
THE BFG
A Royal Shakespeare Company, Chichester Festival Theatre, Singapore Repertory Theatre - Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, and Roald Dahl Story Company production
Adapted by Tom Wells
Dramaturgy and additional material by Jenny Worton
Director Daniel Evans
Puppetry Designer and Director Toby Olié
Set Designer Vicki Mortimer
Costume Designer Kinnetia Isidore
Lighting Designer Zoe Spurr
Video Designer Akhila Krishnan
Illusions Chris Fisher
Composer Oleta Haffner
Sound Designer Carolyn Downing
Choreographer and Movement Director Ira Mandela Siobhan
Puppetry Co-Designer Daisy Beattie and Seb Mayer
Casting Director Christopher Worrall CDG
Children’s Casting Director
Verity Naughton CDG
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tuesday 25 November 2025 – Saturday 7 February 2026
Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Press Night: Tuesday 9 December at 7pm
Tickets from £16
Chichester Festival Theatre
Monday 9 March – Saturday 11 April 2026
Press Night: Thursday 12 March at 7pm
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
From Wednesday 22 April 2026
Esplanade Theatre, Singapore
Tickets on sale at www.srt.com/TheBFG or www.esplanade.com/TheBFG from 15 October 2025
RSC BOOKING INFORMATION
Ticket Discounts:
Discounts are available for Over 65s, Disabled People and Carers, Families, UK School and College Groups and Groups of 10 or more. Terms and conditions apply. See the website rsc.org.uk or call the Box Office on 01789 331111 for more details and to buy tickets.
Assisted Performances at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre:
Audio Described Performance – Saturday 20 December 2pm, Wednesday 28 January 7.15pm
Handheld Captioned Performance – Tuesday 23 December, 2pm
Chilled & Captioned Performance – Saturday 3 January 2pm
BSL Integrated Performance – Friday 16 January 2pm
Relaxed Performance with Integrated BSL Interpreter, Audio Described & Captioned – Thursday 22 January 2pm
Chilled Performance – Thursday 29 January, 2pm
Captioned Performance – Friday 30 January 7.15pm
Creative Team Talk – Monday 8 December, 5.15 – 6pm
Unwrapped – Saturday 10 January, 11am – 12pm
Post Show Talk (BSL Interpreted) – Friday 16 January
NOTES TO EDITORS
The RSC is supported using public funding by Arts Council England
The work of the RSC is supported by the Culture Recovery Fund
The RSC is generously supported by RSC America
With thanks to Season Supporter Charles Holloway OBE
Craft and Design Sponsor – Pragnell
RSC £10 Tickets for 14-25s supported by TikTok
The RSC Acting Companies are generously supported by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation
New Work at the RSC is generously supported by Hawthornden Foundation and The Drue and H.J. Heinz II Charitable Trust
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a leading global theatre company that sparks local, national and international conversations that build connections, create opportunities and bring joy.
We passionately believe that great storytelling can change the world, and that theatre offers its own unique form of storytelling: it’s live and shared, and transforms a group of strangers into audiences who, together, experience a story come to life in front of their eyes.
We collaborate with the most exciting artists to tell the stories of our time, and through a range of programmes we nurture the talent of the future.
We perform on three stages in our home in Stratford-upon-Avon, in London and in communities and schools across the country and around the world.
Our transformative Creative Learning and Engagement programmes reach over half a million young people each year.
Arts Council England is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest £1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated £860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.www.artscouncil.org.uk
Pragnell is a British family run jeweller, with a rich and royal heritage spanning over 170 years. As one of the UK’s last full-service jewellers, all Pragnell fine jewellery is handcrafted in British workshops by our highly trained craftspeople, using gemstones of exceptional beauty and quality. Pragnell showrooms are located in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Mayfair and Leicester. Discover Pragnell Stratford-upon-Avon showrooms in the heart of the town on Wood Street just a few minutes’ walk from the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Pragnell has proudly supported The King’s Trust since 2015, as a Patron, employing watch technicians through an apprenticeship scheme. Additionally, since 2023, Pragnell has partnered with The King’s Foundation and sponsors their Awards which support the protection and promotion of heritage craft skills.
TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok's global headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, and its offices include New York, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.
The Roald Dahl Story Company (RDSC) is the home of Roald Dahl’s much-loved stories and characters. With over 300 million books sold globally and translated into 68 languages, our stories have entertained generations of kids and adults with their unique mix of mischief, dark humour and irreverence.
Together with our parent company Netflix, and united by our love of these great stories, we’re working with some of the world’s best storytellers and creative minds to bring them to life in bold new ways that will surprise and delight existing and new fans. This includes animated and live action films and series, publishing, theatre, immersive experiences, games, consumer products, brand partnerships, and more.
Chichester Festival Theatre creates inspiring experiences that bring people together – on and off the stage. Creativity is at the heart of everything we do, and we aim to light a spark in everyone who experiences our work – locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. As one of the UK’s flagship theatres, we are renowned for the exceptionally high standard of our productions and our industry-leading work with the community and young people. Situated in a cathedral city in West Sussex between the South Downs and the sea, the Festival Theatre’s bold thrust stage design makes it one of England’s most striking playhouses – equally suited to epic drama and musicals. The studio theatre, the Minerva, is particularly noted for premieres of new work alongside intimate revivals. Our new third venue, The Nest, is a vibrant space for dynamic work and the talent of tomorrow.
Countless productions which started life at CFT have transferred to the West End or toured nationally and internationally over the past six decades, from musicals to significant new plays and classic revivals. Our Learning, Education and Participation (LEAP) department works with people of all ages and abilities, offering a pioneering range of initiatives that inspire and delight all those who take part. To read more about us, visit cft.org.uk.
About Singapore Repertory Theatre
Founded in 1993, Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) is one of the leading English language theatre producers and presenters in Asia. In addition to its repertoire of original musicals such as Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress, the company has produced critically acclaimed plays including Disgraced and 2:22 – A Ghost Story. Also known for its innovative dinner theatre experiences, SRT has enjoyed tremendous success with sold-out runs of Por Por’s Big Fat Surprise Wedding and Fried Rice Paradise – The Makan Party.
SRT’s international collaborations include the Royal Shakespeare Company’s King Lear and The Seagull starring Sir Ian McKellen, Oscar-winning Sam Mendes’ The Bridge Project (2009–2011), as well as 3 Titans of Theatre – a season of works directed by Simon McBurney, Yukio Ninagawa and Peter Brook. Most recently, SRT presented the award-winning National Theatre production The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in Singapore.
SRT also produces the very successful Shakespeare in the Park season and is one of the biggest producers of children’s theatre in Southeast Asia, with beloved titles such as The Cat in the Hat, The Ugly Duckling and The Three Little Pigs.
Beyond the stage, SRT actively contributes to the local community. Through its Centre for Creative Learning, programmes reach thousands of young learners and educators, strengthening audience growth and talent development across Singapore’s theatre industry.
Find out more at www.srt.com.sg.
About Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
Esplanade is Singapore’s national performing arts centre. It hosts a year-round line-up of about 4,000 live performances and activities presented by Esplanade, its partners and hirers. As an arts centre for everyone, Esplanade also creates opportunities for seniors, youth, children and underserved communities to experience the arts. More than 70% of the shows that take place each year at the centre are free for all to enjoy.
Esplanade also brings the arts virtually to audiences in Singapore and beyond, through its diverse range of digital programmes on Esplanade Offstage, an all-access backstage pass to the performing arts and guide to Singapore and Asian arts and culture, with videos, podcasts, articles, quizzes and resources.
The centre works in close partnership with local, regional and international artists to develop artistic capabilities and content, push artistic boundaries and engage audiences. Esplanade supports the creation of artistic content by commissioning and producing new Singapore and Asian work for the international stage. It also develops technical capabilities for the industry nationally.
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is operated by The Esplanade Co Ltd (TECL), which is a not-for-profit organisation, a registered Charity and an Institution of a Public Character. TECL received the Charity Governance Award – Special Commendation for Clarity of Strategy in 2016 and 2022, the Charity Transparency Award from 2016 – 2023, and the Charity Transparency Dedication Award in 2024. Esplanade is Singapore’s first Dementia-Friendly Arts Venue and a certified Dementia Go-To Point, as well as a guide/assistance dog friendly centre.
TECL receives funding support from Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and its Community Programmes are supported by Tote Board Family, comprising Tote Board, Singapore Pools and Singapore Turf Club.
Visit Esplanade.com for more information.
