Birmingham-born actor John Leader is taking on his biggest-ever role - in every respect - at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre this Christmas, playing the part of Roald Dahl’s Big Friendly Giant (The BFG). 
The festive-season gig also sees him return to a town, a venue and even a story that he knows very well - as he explains to What’s On...

Despite his softly spoken tone, it’s clear that John Leader can barely contain his enthusiasm for his latest role with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC): Roald Dahl’s Big Friendly Giant (The BFG).

The Birmingham-born actor (he grew up in Nechells) is returning to the town where he studied drama, to a stage on which he’s performed before, and to a story he fondly remembers from childhood. And just to ensure we’re ticking all the boxes, the exciting new production is set to utilise an array of instruments in his actor’s toolkit, from drama to movement to puppetry.

Were those wide-ranging skills the reason he was offered the role of The BFG - after all, it’s not like he’s 10 feet tall?

“Little do they know I’ve been 10 feet tall this whole time!” laughs the friendly (another reason he got the role?) 35-year-old.

“But yes, I think what led to it was the many different facets of theatre that I’ve been really fortunate to run into over my career. Sitting in parallel worlds and devised worlds, having movement, puppetry, illusion, bits of flying… all stuff I’ve been lucky enough to touch into.”

Having completed a three-year Physical Theatre course at East 15 Acting School, it’s unlikely that ‘luck’ had anything to do with it, but the shows he’s referring to include the likes of War Horse, Peter Pan, A Monster Calls, and The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe - all experiences he can draw upon for his latest challenge.

“I think there’s definitely a little shared knowledge and a way of working in those worlds that you can tune into if you already have a knowledge of it. Especially with a show like this, that’s doing so many different things, so many amazing things and throwing everything at it.”

In the case of Tom Wells’ new adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic, ‘throwing everything at it’ sounds like a fairly accurate summation.

“We’re using puppetry, illusions, amazing video, projection, lighting… and we’re playing a lot with scale, but I won’t reveal too much of what that is!”

John is genuinely excited by every element of the production, which he claims is “the most magical” he’s ever worked on.

“The joy of the show is that any one element is worth the ticket price alone, but we’ve got everything in it! The script is worth the ticket price alone, the magic and illusions are worth the ticket price alone, the puppetry is worth the ticket price alone, the movement, the costume design, the video, the sound, the set… just everything. It’s worth coming for any one of those facets, but you get it all for one ticket price!”

The fantasy story itself - about how a gentle giant and a little girl (or ‘human bean’) form an unlikely friendship and ultimately change the world - is one that John has fond memories of having read to him as a young child.

“I was really lucky growing up to have an amazing sister who would read to me at night and introduce me to books. I have really vivid memories of her reading The BFG to me when I was young, and it being the story I would listen to before going to bed.

“It’s a book that gives you such visual images - it’s so beautiful - and I think the way that [Dahl] writes really plays with your imagination. There’s so much in it and so much magic to play with. 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.”

Director Daniel Evans, also the RSC’s co-artistic director, said finding the right actor to play the eponymous hero had been “a giant undertaking”, as well as an essential piece of the casting puzzle, alongside the other key roles of Sophie (a part that will be shared by youngsters Elsie Laslett, Ellemie Shivers and Martha Bailey Vine) and the Queen (Helena Lymbery).

“John brings immense warmth, generosity and humility to the role,” says Daniel. “All essential qualities for our BFG. He also has a gleaming and vivid imagination.”

For his part, John is excited at a quick return to the RSC - he appeared in productions of The Merry Wives Of Windsor and The School For Scandal last year - but knows the ante has been upped this time around.
“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.

“Being back again is a really amazing feeling, especially during the current period and seeing what Daniel and Tamara [Harvey, co-artistic director] are doing and the amazing shows they’re programming. It feels a real privilege to be a part of it.”

The other thing he’s most excited about is the heart-warming story - and indeed heart - at the core of Dahl’s tale, which he believes Tom Wells (best known for writing stage shows The Kitchen Sink and Jumpers For Goalposts) and dramaturg Jenny Worton have kept front and centre, despite all the bells and whistles of the hugely ambitious production.

“They’ve taken all the stuff that was already there but changed and moulded it to make it even more special to transfer to the theatre. You can see how they’ve flown with it - the script is so exciting.

“It’s all about what it means to have power, and how much size and scale come into it. It’s the idea that sometimes you can be the biggest giant in the world but actually have none of the power that might go with it - in the same way that you could be the Queen of the country but with no power either.”

Despite being over 40 years old (50, if you trace it back to its origins as a short story from the novel Danny, The Champion Of The World), Dahl’s tale also feels pertinent to modern times, where its messages of hope, community and kindness to outsiders make it ideal for the festive season.

“What this story really tells us is that anyone can create real change, and can do that through play, imagination, kindness, community and friendship. No matter how ‘small’ you are, everyone can create big change. If that’s not a story for what we need right now, then no story is.

“If we can inspire everyone to make change in the world and be a bit more friendly, then we’re definitely in a good place.”

The BFG shows at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, from Tuesday 25 November to Friday 7 February

By Steve Adams