Roald Dahl’s The BFG confirmed for Chichester Festival Theatre 2026

Former Chichester Festival Theatre artistic director Daniel Evans returns to the city with the world premiere of Roald Dahl’s The BFG next year.

It will be presented at the CFT from Monday, March 16-Sunday, April 12 2026 in a co-production between Chichester Festival Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Roald Dahl Story Company. Full details and booking will be announced in September 2025

The BFG, based on Roald Dahl’s beloved children’s novel, will be directed by Daniel who is now the RSC’s co-artistic director. His Chichester productions included Quiz, South Pacific and Our Generation.

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The new adaptation by Tom Wells (The Kitchen Sink, Jumpers For Goalposts) will open the Festival 2026 season at Chichester Festival Theatre, following a winter season at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon from November 25 2025-January 31 2026.

One extraordinary night, a young orphan named Sophie is snatched by a giant and taken far away to Giant Country. There she learns that human-eating giants are guzzling ‘norphans’ the world over. But she soon discovers that her new friend, the BFG, is different – he’s a dream-catching, snozzcumber-munching gentle soul who refuses to eat humans.

While other giants terrorise the world, the BFG ignites Sophie’s imagination, and they devise a daring plan to save children everywhere. In the end, the smallest human bean and the gentlest giant prove that a dream can change the world.

Justin Audibert, artistic director of CFT, said: “We are thrilled to be co-producing The BFG with the RSC and the Roald Dahl Story Company, and hugely looking forward to welcoming my predecessor as artistic director Daniel Evans back to Chichester. I know that our audiences – from the smallest to the largest ‘human beans’ – will love seeing Roald Dahl’s brilliantly imaginative and beloved creation come to life on stage.”

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RSC co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey said: “This inspiring story – about an unlikely alliance between an orphan, a giant and a queen – tells us that when we have the courage to make our dreams a reality, we can change the world. To be adapting Roald Dahl’s much-loved children’s novel for the stage in collaboration with the Roald Dahl Story Company and Chichester Festival Theatre is a dream come true for us. Tom Wells’ magical new adaptation builds upon the RSC’s longstanding commitment to make spectacular and moving theatre for family audiences – and we’re thrilled to be collaborating with an exceptional creative team to dream up an unforgettable theatrical experience which promises to be larger-than-life.”

Roald Dahl Story Company artistic director Jenny Worton added: “Following the triumphant success of our first two stage shows, The Witches and The Enormous Crocodile, The BFG opens a magical new chapter for us at the Roald Dahl Story Company. Our dream is to bring mischievous joy to audiences of all ages through our growing family of live shows.

“After years of delicious inventing with Tom Wells, Daniel Evans and the wider creative team, we are excited to share our passion for this iconic story with the rest of the world. Alongside Chichester Festival Theatre, we’ve created something full of imagination and heart, just as you’d expect from the world of Roald Dahl.”

Joining Daniel and Tom on the creative team are puppetry designer and director Toby Olié, set designer Vicki Mortimer, costume designer Kinnetia Isadore, lighting designer Zoe Spurr, video designer Akhila Krishnan, illusions Chris Fisher, composer Oleta Haffner, sound designer Carolyn Downing, choreographer and movement director Ira Mandela Siobhan, puppetry co-designer Daisy Beattie, senior set design associate Matt Hellyer, casting director Christopher Worrall and children’s casting director Verity Naughton.

Tickets for The BFG at Chichester Festival Theatre will go on sale with the next winter season, which will start booking in September 2025.

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