Review: THE BFG, Royal Shakespeare Theatre

When a giant snatches Sophie from her bed, she thinks the worst. Once she finds herself in Giant Country, she learns that his kind brutally chomps down on small children to sustain themselves. If this is true, why is she still alive? Why hasn’t the Giant eaten her? It turns out that her new friend is also appalled by this custom and outright refuses to eat “human beans”, preferring to give them good dreams instead. As the brutish clan mates descend on London to feed, Sophie and the BFG team up to rid the world of all child-eating giants. Co-Artistic Director of the RSC Daniel Evans brings to life one of Roald Dahl’s most darkly beloved children’s books in an utterly thrilling adaptation by Tom Wells. 

It’s a joy to see theatre that’s genuinely and authentically awe-inspiring. A mix of live actors and puppets pulls off a truly magical feat of stagecraft. This is a family play that combats the rise of AI; it will have even the most avid of iPad kids compelled to the edge of their seat. A string of code will never be able to make us feel emotions the way a human can. When you think that Evans can’t surprise you anymore, something else happens  — a different set of marionettes or another scaled angle  — and you’re left with your mouth gaping once again. 

How do you make dreams float? With the power of theatrics, of course. Evans toys with perspective and scale, basing the entire result on how the visual amalgamation of people, hand-held puppets, and the odd projection comes off. It’s an astounding success. He kick-starts a series of illusions and beguiling deceptions that carry on until the very end. This continuous alternation between viewpoints alters the perception of the public and keeps the show interesting for all ages. The company have plenty of tricks up their sleeves, all wholly realistic and well-thought out, that merge with a gorgeous score by Oleta

The puppetry is (rightfully) a little grotesque. Though he is more forgiving, Toby Olié channels the original drawings into creations that are vaguely reminiscent of Quentin Blake’s free-flowing lines. John Leader’s physical features are blown up to maintain their kindness and friendliness in the titular role, while the villainous Bloodbottler (Richard Riddell) is more imposing and frightening. To tickle to imagination, the designs don’t over-explain. The giants merely give the idea of the creatures, mostly opting for a large head and muscly arms.

Every creation is remarkably expressive. Manoeuvred by four people, the BFG is the most complex, featuring a full tall torso and a caricaturally accurate rendition of Leaver’s face. Smaller puppetry is featured when Leaver is on stage himself to signal his stature and keep the magic alive. The particular attention to the movement direction (Ira Mandela Siobhan, also at the choreography) is what makes the piece work. Combined with some brilliantly intuitive storytelling, the stage traffic creates enchanting twists that plunge you fully into the fantasy. 

Leaver is unpretentiously reassuring. From the first sass-off between him and Sophie (a tiny firecracker called Ellemie Shivers when we attended) to the touching finale, he is the BFG in every aspect. Helena Lymbery brings a delicate sophistication to the Queen, but grounds her character with vulnerable strengths. She’s the protagonist of many fantastic sequences with her right-hand man Tibbs, Sargon Yelda, who’s endlessly amusing as the histrionic butler. Other highlights: Luke Sumner’s inordinately full moustache as Captain Frith and Philip Labey’s OTT reactions. Simply hilarious.

In short, The BFG is the perfect alternative to a classic panto. It bears the exquisite elegance of a heartwarming fairy tale of friendship, identity, and acceptance and fuses it with enough naughtiness to make it fun. It’s pure theatre, whimsical from start to finish.

The BFG runs at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon until 7 February 2026.