Theatre review: The BFG at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton

Staging Roald Dahl’s giant production is, so to speak, a tall order for any theatre company. But the Octagon, again so to speak, makes short work of it.
By Barry Bradshaw
Published 22nd Dec 2015, 12:00 BST
Macy Nyman as Sophie and John Seaward as The BFG. Photo credit: Ian TiltonMacy Nyman as Sophie and John Seaward as The BFG. Photo credit: Ian Tilton
Macy Nyman as Sophie and John Seaward as The BFG. Photo credit: Ian Tilton

Its Christmas offering is always eagerly anticipated and this one, as with so many others, is a Christmas cracker – or, as I imagine the BFG would speak, a Crimbo cracklepop!

The BFG, aka Big Friendly Giant, has quite a jumbled-up vocabulary, with words like snozzcumbers and frobscottles popping up all over the place – and if you have difficulty working out where he gets all these words from, just imagine how difficult it must be for him to remember them all! That’s the challenge facing John Seaward, who, at 6ft 2in. tall is a suitable choice for the lead role.

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John teams up with Macy Nyman, who plays Sophie, on an adventure that is not without its dangers – mainly from the bad giants whose names of Bonecruncher, Fleshlumpeater and Bloodbottler, tell you that their intentions are not exactly honourable. But mixed in with the menace is mirth as we journey into people’s dreams and even get to meet the Queen!

Macy Nyman as Sophie and John Seaward as The BFG. Photo credit: Ian TiltonMacy Nyman as Sophie and John Seaward as The BFG. Photo credit: Ian Tilton
Macy Nyman as Sophie and John Seaward as The BFG. Photo credit: Ian Tilton

The Christmas production is an ideal opportunity to introduce children to the theatre and hopefully the Big One will have given the little ones a taste for more. If that is the case, then it would be swishwifflingly scrumdiddlyumptious – so to speak!

The play runs until January 9th with tickets available on 01204-520661.

Related topics:Queen