John Leader to play title role in THE BFG at RSC
Photo credit: Joseph Bailey
The RSC has announced that John Leader will step into the oversized shoes of Roald Dahl’s beloved big friendly giant in The BFG at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from 25 November 2025 – 31 January 2026.
The production will also run at Chichester Festival Theatre from 9 March-11 April 2026, with booking opening next month.
On being announced to play one of British storytelling’s favourite characters for the stage, John said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be playing such an iconic character who means so much to so many people. Everyone has their own picture of the BFG, so it’s really exciting (and a bit surreal!) to help bring him to life on stage. It’s a real joy to be collaborating with Daniel and such a talented team of creatives on this story, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience it. Having grown up in Birmingham and trained at Stratford College, coming back to the RSC for a role like this honestly feels very special – a real full-circle moment.”
John was last seen with the RSC in The Merry Wives of Windsor and The School for Scandal, both in 2024. His previous theatre credits include Wuthering Heights, Peter Pan and War Horse at the National Theatre, A Monster Calls at The Old Vic, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Bridge Theatre.
Director and RSC Co-Artistic Director Daniel Evans said: “Finding the actor to play our eponymous hero, BFG, has been a giant undertaking in so many ways. We knew that this crucial bit of casting was an essential piece of the puzzle. After all, it is the BFG, alongside Sophie and The Queen, who are the main trio of our story. Through each other’s friendship and allyship, they find the imagination and the strength to defeat the human-guzzling giants and save children everywhere.
John Leader brings immense warmth, generosity and humility to the role - all essential qualities for our BFG. He also has a gleaming and vivid imagination. John will be working alongside a highly skilled team of puppeteers as part of a cast of eighteen, to bring Tom Wells’ magical new script to the stage and we look forward to sharing more exciting casting news within the coming weeks.”
Based on Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s novel, this magical new stage adaptation by Tom Wells will play in Stratford-upon-Avon for a 10-week run over the festive season in 2025.
Joining Daniel and Tom on the creative team is puppetry designer and director Toby Olié, set designer Vicki Mortimer, costume designer Kinnetia Isidore, lighting designer Zoe Spurr, video designer Akhila Krishnan, illusionist Chris Fisher, composer Oleta Haffner, sound designer Carolyn Downing, choreographer and movement director Ira Mandela Siobhan, puppetry co-designer Daisy Beattie, casting director Christopher Worrall CDG, and children’s casting director by Verity Naughton CDG.