The Big Friendly Giant

The Big Friendly Giant is a stage adaptation by David Wood of Roald Dahl's book.

Also billed as The BFG

The Original Text

The novel and the play tell the story of Sophie, a young orphan, who spies The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) from her window one night. He whisks her away to Giant Country and Sophie fears for her life. But, The BFG is not like other giants: instead of eating “human beans,” he collects pleasant dreams to deliver to sleeping children. Together Sophie and The BFG try to save England from the “gizzardgulpers” – orphan-eating giants who lack The BFG’s heart.

The BFG was first performed at Wimbledon Theatre, London in 1991, followed by a tour and a West End season for Christmas at the Aldwych Theatre.

Translations and adaptations

Translated into Afrikaans as The Big Friendly Giant by Mavis de Villiers, a translation that was awarded a prize by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns in 1996.

In 2016 a film entitled The BFG was made of the story, directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison, and based on the 1982 novel.

Performance history in South Africa

1993: Presented by the Baxter Theatre by arrangement with James Wood and Justin Savage for Clarion productions opening 26 February 1993. Fred Abrahamse directed, assisted by Itumeleng Wa-Lehulere starring Tobie Cronjé as the BFG, Heather Schiff as Sophie, Shirley Johnston as Mum, with Glenn Swart, Pierre Neethling, Liana Collet, Aziwe Magida and Denver Vraagom. Musical direction by Brian Burke, puppets by the Handspring Puppet Company designed by Susie Caulcutt, lighting design by Brian Collins, sound by David Cathcart, costumes by Hazel van der Hoven. Puppet master Adrian Kohler.

Sources

http://www.samuelfrench.com/p/6407/bfg-the-big-friendly-giant BFG, The (Big Friendly Giant)

https://www.sct.org/About/Past-Productions/2007-08-Season/The-Big-Friendly-Giant

The BFG theatre programme, 1993.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_BFG_(2016_film)

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