The Royal Shakespeare Company’s festive family offering this year is a jaw-dropping adaptation of a Roald Dahl classic - The BFG which, of course, stands for Big Friendly Giant. Filling the Royal Shakespeare Theatre with superb, supersized puppetry, immersive projection and a cinematic score, The BFG has certainly lived up to its giant expectations.

Level-headed Sophie and her best friend Kimberley, played by extremely talented child actors - last night Ellemie Shivers and Maisy Lee respectively - live in an orphanage together. One night, at the witching hour, Sophie is snatched from her bed - she’s spotted a giant at the window, and he’s afraid that if the truth gets out that giants exist, he’ll be put away in the zoo… Luckily, this is the Big, Friendly Giant of the title, charmingly played by John Leader. 

On learning that even bigger and decidedly unfriendly giants exist - and are much more inclined to gobble up children - Sophie decides to take action, and appeal to the one grown-up who might be able to help, the Queen of England (Helena Lymbery).

It’s an eccentric but utterly engrossing story, which has stood the test of time since it was published in 1982. This version - adapted by Tom Wells, and directed by RSC co-artistic director Daniel Evans - is a triumph, which brings the essence of the story to life, elegantly trimmed into two hours of theatre (including the interval), gently updating Sophie and her antics but preserving that unmistakably Dahl-ian formula, to become the perfect festive treat. 

The puppets and their puppeteers are the stars of the show. The production effortlessly switches scale - one moment a BFG puppet, voiced by Leader, towers over Sophie, the next, she is the puppet, lifted onto Leader’s human arm. The puppetry design and direction by Toby Olié, combined with Ira Mandela Siobhan’s movement direction, are seamless. The play is an ode to theatrical magic - helped by the fact that there is an illusionist in the creative team, Chris Fisher.

The non-puppet company is also stellar. John Leader’s BFG is endearing and full of life, and both of last night’s young actors, Shivers and Lee, were perfect in their roles. Helena Lymbery is marvellous and mischievous as the Queen. Her Majesty is dissatisfied that everything is done for her, by loyal butler Tibbs (Sargon Yelda) and her moustachioed military minders, Captain Smith (Philip Labey) and Captain Frith (Luke Sumner) - all blessed with immaculate comic timing. 

At every turn, this extraordinary production has another trick up its sleeve, bringing to the stage moment after moment to delight and amaze. Don’t be surprised if your grin is as big as the BFG’s by the end of the show.

Five Stars

The BFG was reviewed on Tuesday 9 December by Jessica Clixby at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, where it shows until Saturday 7 February