Royal Shakespeare Theatre Unveils First Look At THE BFG 12-Foot Giant Puppet

Co-producers the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), Chichester Festival Theatre, and the Roald Dahl Story Company have released a new photo offering the first look at the 12-foot puppet created for THE BFG, the new stage adaptation opening at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre on November 25, 2025. The production is adapted by Tom Wells from Roald Dahl’s novel and will be 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 shows puppeteers Elisa de Grey, Shaun McCourt, Ben Thompson, and Onioluwa Taiwo operating the largest version of the BFG puppet, joined by actor John Leader, who voices the role. Aki Nakagawa and Alisa Dalling are pictured operating the smallest version.

“The BFG is, without doubt, one of the most recognizable and best-loved characters in all of literature,” Olié said. “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!”

The full production cast will include 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, Ben Thompson, and Sargon Yelda. The role of Sophie will be shared by Elsie Laslett, Ellemie Shivers, and Martha Bailey Vine, with Maisy Lee, Charlotte Jones, and Uma Patel sharing the role of Kimberley.

The creative team includes set designer Vicki Mortimer, costume designer Kinnetia Isidore, lighting designer Zoe Spurr, video designer Akhila Krishnan, illusions by Chris Fisher, composer Oleta Haffner, sound designer Carolyn Downing, and choreographer and movement director Ira Mandela Siobhan. Daisy Beattie serves as puppetry co-designer, with Matt Hellyer as senior set design associate. Casting is by Christopher Worrall CDG, with children’s casting by Verity Naughton CDG.

The production will run at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from 25 November 2025 to 31 January 2026, with press night on 9 December 2025. It will tour to Chichester Festival Theatre from 9 March to 11 April 2026 before transferring to Singapore’s Esplanade Theatre from 22 April 2026 in partnership with Singapore Repertory Theatre and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.

TICKETS

Tickets for The BFG at the RSC begin at £16. Discounts are available for Over 65s, Disabled People and Carers, Families, UK School and College Groups, and Groups of ten or more. Full details are available at rsc.org.uk or by calling the Box Office at 01789 331111.