The BFG
RSC Stratford
IT’S BIG on spectacle, huge on magic and vast on presence – the BFG brings a hefty game to the RSC and, thanks to its attention to tiny details, makes a lot of other shows look awfully small.
Roald Dahl’s perennially popular tale of an unexpected friendship between a misunderstood giant and a plucky orphan makes for a feast of the richest kind. No effort is spared in ensuring this looks and sounds as good as possible and, without a shadow of a doubt, everything works.
Flight sequences, exploding chemistry experiments, helicopter manoeuvres, thunderous punch-ups and more – Daniel Evans packs an awful lot into a blissfully unrelenting two hours.
Given that this show is a constant stream of visual treats from the first second to the last, trying to pick out highlights is a thankless task. Mention five outstanding moments and, a minute later, five more will spring to mind.
Grabbing the headlines in the lead-up to this run has been the scale and ambition of the puppetry. Comparisons with the practically iconic Warhorse have been plentiful but this show more than holds its own.
Whether the puppet is twenty feet high or a mere six inches the animation is simply breathtaking. Daft perhaps to trumpet how realistic the portrayal of a human-munching giant can be, but the tiny details and subtle nuances make these real-life animations simply perfect, unexpectedly believable.
Amid all this puppetry excellence it should be noted that the show boasts some equally excellent human acting. There are fine turns from Helena Lymbery as the Queen, Sargon Yelda as the butler and a splendid pair of military buffoons from Philip Labey and Luke Sumner.
Tom Wells’s adaptation stays true to the language and irreverence of the original but offers enough sharp one-liners and modern asides to keep everyone amused.
The show boasts a six-name roster of youngsters taking the roles of Sophie and Kimberley. If the whole half-dozen are as committed and able as the two on display here, there’s a golden age of youth talent in the offing.
The skill on the stage is matched by the design and delivery of a technical element that adds rather than just supports. Special effects, spectacular lighting, great music and endless stage trickery arrive in abundance.
The show’s programme features four pages of credits for parts played in bringing this to the stage and there’s not a single name that doesn’t deserve the standing ovations which will come night after night.
There is a sense that the RSC is, as it has in festive seasons past, trying to make sure that every youngster coming to the theatre for the first time will leave with a love of live action that will stay with them. The BFG carries a message about believing in your dreams and those dreams will be realised here.
With a show as good as this, though, it’s not just the young who’ll be won over. Anyone for whom theatre has lost its magic will find plenty to revive it here. This is a spectacular success on a truly giant scale.
Matthew Salisbury
