Lead casting revealed for The BFG stage adaptation

A new stage adaptation of The BFG will be presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company in collaboration with Chichester Festival Theatre and the Roald Dahl Story Company – and casting has now been revealed.

The production will be directed by RSC co-artistic director Daniel Evans, whose previous work includes Quiz, South Pacific and Our Generation. Puppetry designer and director Toby Olié joins the creative team alongside set designer Vicki Mortimer, costume designer Kinnetia Isidore, lighting designer Zoe Spurr, video designer Akhila Krishnan, illusionist Chris Fisher, composer Oleta Haffner, sound designer Carolyn Downing, choreographer and movement director Ira Mandela Siobhan and puppetry co-designer Daisy Beattie.

Set to star in the titular role will be RSC alum John Leader, who will act as part of an ensemble of 18 actors. The production has confirmed that a troupe of puppeteers will work with Leader at different points within the play to represent the changes in height and size of the character, according to our perspective at the time.

He commented: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be playing such an iconic character who means so much to so many people. Everyone has their own picture of the BFG, so it’s really exciting (and a bit surreal!) to help bring him to life on stage. It’s a real joy to be collaborating with Daniel and such a talented team of creatives on this story, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience it. Having grown up in Birmingham and trained at Stratford College, coming back to the RSC for a role like this honestly feels very special – a real full-circle moment.”

Evans added: “Finding the actor to play our eponymous hero, BFG, has been a giant undertaking in so many ways. We knew that this crucial bit of casting was an essential piece of the puzzle. After all, it is the BFG, alongside Sophie and The Queen, who are the main trio of our story. Through each other’s friendship and allyship, they find the imagination and the strength to defeat the human-guzzling giants and save children everywhere.

“John Leader brings immense warmth, generosity and humility to the role – all essential qualities for our BFG. He also has a gleaming and vivid imagination. John will be working alongside a highly skilled team of puppeteers as part of a cast of 18, to bring Tom Wells’ magical new script to the stage and we look forward to sharing more exciting casting news within the coming weeks.”

Wells’ adaptation brings Roald Dahl’s story to the stage, following the journey of Sophie and the Big Friendly Giant as they navigate a world of dreams, giants and adventure.

The production will run at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from 25 November 2025 to 31 January 2026, with a press night on 9 December. A subsequent run at Chichester Festival Theatre will take place from 16 March to 12 April 2026, with full details to be announced in September 2025.

Tickets for the Stratford-upon-Avon run start at £16, with further booking details for Chichester to be released later in the year.

The show was announced as part of the company’s brand-new season.

Listen to Evans and co-artistic director Tamara Harvey discuss the production in the latest episode of the WhatsOnStage Podcast – out now: