Royal Shakespeare Company's attempt to stage Roald Dahl's 'The BFG' has resulted in a mixed bag, lacking the confidence and cohesion of their global smash-hit 'Matilda: The Musical'. Adapted by Tom Wells with additional material from Jenny Worton, this show struggles to balance different elements, resulting in a jarring experience for audiences.
Spoken drama and puppetry collide in an effort that seems reminiscent of Sue Townsend's 'The Queen and I', where the monarch is portrayed as a sweetly played figure saving the nation with child superheroes. The addition of a puppet ballet featuring mannequin designer Toby Olié only adds to the confusion, blurring the line between character development and choreographed entertainment.
Perspective plays a role in the visual storytelling, but it's unclear why certain characters are depicted as big or small at any given moment, beyond their function in the scene. The show's reliance on puppetry results in lost coherence, particularly when the main characters - Sophie, played by Ellemie Shivers, and the BFG, portrayed by John Leader - struggle to stand out amidst a backdrop of inconsistent scale.
The adaptation also grapples with issues surrounding language and attitudes deemed dated by modern standards. Puffin Books' decision to release expurgated editions sparked controversy in 2023, forcing the RSC to choose between sanitised texts and legacy versions for staging. As such, viewers may feel that they're left with a watered-down experience.
Impeccable performances under the direction of Daniel Evans can't compensate for the show's structural issues. With the BFG and its arch-nemesis Bloodbottler divided between live actor, puppet, and on-stage puppeteers, character development becomes disjointed, unlike 'Paddington: The Musical' which seamlessly combines acting, animatronics, and voice projection from backstage.
As a co-production with Chichester Festival and Singapore Repertory theatres, the BFG aims to entertain but fails to deliver the giant hit its finances desperately need.
Spoken drama and puppetry collide in an effort that seems reminiscent of Sue Townsend's 'The Queen and I', where the monarch is portrayed as a sweetly played figure saving the nation with child superheroes. The addition of a puppet ballet featuring mannequin designer Toby Olié only adds to the confusion, blurring the line between character development and choreographed entertainment.
Perspective plays a role in the visual storytelling, but it's unclear why certain characters are depicted as big or small at any given moment, beyond their function in the scene. The show's reliance on puppetry results in lost coherence, particularly when the main characters - Sophie, played by Ellemie Shivers, and the BFG, portrayed by John Leader - struggle to stand out amidst a backdrop of inconsistent scale.
The adaptation also grapples with issues surrounding language and attitudes deemed dated by modern standards. Puffin Books' decision to release expurgated editions sparked controversy in 2023, forcing the RSC to choose between sanitised texts and legacy versions for staging. As such, viewers may feel that they're left with a watered-down experience.
Impeccable performances under the direction of Daniel Evans can't compensate for the show's structural issues. With the BFG and its arch-nemesis Bloodbottler divided between live actor, puppet, and on-stage puppeteers, character development becomes disjointed, unlike 'Paddington: The Musical' which seamlessly combines acting, animatronics, and voice projection from backstage.
As a co-production with Chichester Festival and Singapore Repertory theatres, the BFG aims to entertain but fails to deliver the giant hit its finances desperately need.
. And don't even get me started on the language thing - expurgated editions? That just screams "they didn't want to rock the boat" 
. It's all very... safe 
. And that puppet ballet thingy? More like a choreographed nightmare 
. Can we just say they learned nothing from Matilda: The Musical and move on 
?
they took on Roald Dahl's 'The BFG' thinking it'd be a slam dunk, but this adaptation is more like a sugary disappointment 
This BFG thing just feels messy, you know? All these weird scale changes and puppetry battles... it's just not convincing. And don't even get me started on the language stuff - I mean, I get why they'd want to adapt for modern standards, but sometimes less editing is more, right? 
It's like they're trying to make a watered-down version of something special just so everyone can enjoy it... and then it ends up feeling bland. 
- some bits work, but others are just straight-up confusing 
. The puppetry's supposed to be cool and all, but it kinda ends up feeling like a weird sideshow 
instead of a cohesive story. And don't even get me started on the scale thing 
- I mean, what's up with some characters being giant and others just regular size? It's like they're speaking different languages 
. The performances are on point though 
, especially Daniel Evans' direction, but it's not enough to save this messy show 
. Overall, I'd say this one's a bit of a disappointment 
The RSC had some great success with 'Matilda: The Musical', and it's hard to believe they'd mess up 'The BFG' like this. The show feels all over the place - puppetry, spoken drama, ballet... it's like they're trying too much and can't quite get it right. 
And don't even get me started on the inconsistencies with scale... 
The performances are solid, I'll give 'em that, but at the end of the day, it's just not the BFG experience we were expecting. 
. It's like they're trying to recreate that perfect Matilda magic without putting in the same effort 
.
. Daniel Evans is an amazing director, but even he can't save this show from its structural issues 
. I mean, if they were gonna do a musical with puppets and live actors, at least make sure everything works together harmoniously 
.
& now its jst confusing. the visuals are weird 2, esp w/ the character sizes & stuff, u feel? & wat's up w/ th language n attitudes, its so outdated 
. And don't even get me started on the dated language... if they're gonna make the BFG "clean" for modern audiences, can't they at least try to make it feel less like a kid's bedtime story? 
.
. The fusion of spoken drama and puppetry comes across as gimmicky, resulting in an uneven viewing experience that's more confusing than captivating 
. The inconsistent scaling of characters and settings makes it difficult to become invested in their stories 
. I also couldn't help but feel that the show's reliance on outdated language and attitudes detracts from its overall impact 
.
. I also felt like some of the language and attitudes just didn't hold up, especially with all the controversy around those expurgated editions 
.
. And don't even get me started on the puppetry – I love a good puppet show as much as the next person, but in this case, it just feels like they're more of a distraction than an asset 
. I mean, I know it's a classic story and all, but you'd think they could do better than this.
Maybe next time, RSC will get it right 
. Daniel Evans is a great director, but even he couldn't elevate this mess into something special. And honestly, I think the financial struggles of the RSC are because they're trying to recreate 'Matilda: The Musical' magic here, which just isn't happening 
.
. The production tried to blend spoken drama with puppetry, but it felt like they were playing too many different roles at once 
. And don't even get me started on the character design – sometimes the BFG is giant, sometimes he's not 
. They're gonna need more than just good acting to turn this into a global hit 
.
. Still, those performances by Ellemie and John Leader were top-notch 
. The mix of spoken drama and puppetry just didn't work, felt like they were trying too hard to be different 
. The cast did try their best tho 
? #TheBFG #RSC #MistakesWereMade
and it kept eluding me... anyway, back to this BFG show, man... I'm all for experimentation in theatre, but sometimes less is more, you know? Maybe they should've just stuck with the script and left out the extra puppetry nonsense. The RSC has done some amazing work before, so it's a shame this one fell flat 
. Puppetry and spoken drama collide but it feels disjointed, like they're trying to be everything at once 
. And don't even get me started on the scale thing 
, especially Ellemie Shivers as Sophie 