UK Theatre Network

Review by Laura Pearson.

The B.F.G took to the King's Theatre in Glasgow last night for the first performance of its run in the city providing the audience with a low-quality production.  With a touring production covering major theatre venues one would expect a show with high-production values.  What was witnessed was something that would be more suited to a school hall.  It had all the qualities and charms of a primary school touring production or festival storytelling event and none of the pizzazz that one would expect to come from a major theatrical venue production about a magical giant.

It is indeed a storytelling session rather than a play.  Any hopes of entering another world and suspending disbelief are shattered within the first five minutes as the cast announce that they are going to 'pretend' to be giants and tell Roald Dahl's story to us rather than just bring the story to life in a realistic way.

The play begins with the birthday party of Sophie and when the booked entertainment doesn't arrive the party guests decide to act out the story of The B.F.G instead using Sophie's costume box.  It's a premise that does not work well at all.  One is aware throughout that we are not indeed watching a giant but that we are watching guests at a birthday party pretending to be giants, hence cutting off any emotional response or captivation from the audience with the material so carefully crafted by Dahl.

In the story, a little girl called Sophie is taken from her Orphanage by the Big Friendly Giant and taken to a land where horrible child-eating giants are its citizens. With all the modern theatrical effects that can so easily be achieved this story could have been told in such a realistic, believable and emotion-rousing way.  Instead, what the production provides is a little rag doll called Sophie being held and moved by the adult-sized Sophie at the birthday party.  With her standing next to a regular sized man, who was indeed the father in the birthday party scene, and who has done little to change his appearance except put on a cloak and sandals; one cannot fathom a relationship between a little girl and a giant at all.

This is indeed a very low-budget production.  Costume is used very poorly and adds nothing to the atmosphere that the cast are trying to create. The rest of the birthday party guests remain in their own clothes as they put on the heads of giants.  They also play their own instruments providing the soundtrack to the story which only adds to the problem of realism and believability.  The set is also very simple, creating nothing of a magical atmosphere.  The space was not put to good use at all. Flaws in the design are evident right from the start when white rag doll Sophie spends all of her time on a white table making it impossible for the audience to experience the nuances of the doll's movements being made by the adult actor holding her.

The cast also do very little to allow us to imagine the characters that they are portraying.  They are all visibly adult actors playing children; and the show's attempts to make this believable aren't pulled off.

Children aged five to ten who enjoy being told a story would probably enjoy this. Anyone else should steer clear. It's 'The B.F.G' on a budget. A production that fails either to captivate or enchant.

Listings Info:

THE BFG

King’s Theatre, Glasgow

1 – 5 September @ 7pm

Tue & Fri @ 7pm

Wed 10.30pm & 5pm

Thu 1.30pm & 5pm

Sat 11am, 2pm & 6pm

Tickets: £10 - £16.50

Box Office 08448 717 648 (Bkg fee)

www.ambassadortickets.com/glasgow (bkg fee)