The  Royal Shakespeare Company have today announced further casting for The BFG.

Making her Royal Shakespeare Company debut in the role of The Queen is Helena Lymbery. She will be joined by Elsie Laslett, Ellemie Shivers and Martha Bailey Vine in the role of Sophie. Completing the announcement, Sophie’s best friend from the orphanage, Kimberley, will be played by Maisy Lee, Charlotte Jones and Uma Patel.

They join the previously announced John Leader, who was confirmed to play the BFG earlier this month. John was last seen with the RSC in The Merry Wives of Windsor and The School for Scandal, both in 2024. His previous theatre credits include Wuthering Heights, Peter Pan and War Horse at the National Theatre, A Monster Calls at The Old Vic and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Bridge Theatre.

Helena Lymbery has enjoyed an extensive stage career, working alongside companies which include the National Theatre, Royal Court, Royal Exchange, Bush, Leeds Playhouse, Young Vic, English National Opera, Pentabus, Sonia Friedman Prods and Paines Plough.

During this time, she has enjoyed roles in major productions such as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the West End, where she portrayed Madam Hooch, Petunia Dursley, and Dolores Umbridge. More recently, Helena played Christabel in the world-premiere of David Hare’s Grace Pervades, which opened at the Theatre Royal Bath earlier this year and originated the role of Dr Jakes in the hit National Theatre production of Ballet Shoes.

Based on Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s novel, this magical new stage adaptation by Tom Wells (The Kitchen Sink, Jumpers for Goalposts) will open at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon for a 10-week run over the festive season in 2025.

One extraordinary night, a young orphan named Sophie is snatched by a giant and taken far away to Giant Country.

There she learns that human-eating giants are guzzling 'norphans' the world over. But she soon discovers that her new friend, the BFG, is different – he's a dream-catching, snozzcumber-munching gentle soul who refuses to eat humans.

While other giants terrorise the world, the BFG ignites Sophie's imagination, and they devise a daring plan to save children everywhere. In the end, the smallest human bean and the gentlest giant prove that a dream can change the world.

The BFG  will play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from 25 November 2025 – 31 January 2026. Tickets are available at rsc.org.uk