Singapore’s arts scene is set to make a giant leap in April 2026, when the world’s most beloved dream-catcher lands at the Esplanade Theatre. For the first time ever outside the UK, Roald Dahl’s The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) will be brought to life on stage in a brand-new production by some of the biggest names in global theatre: the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), Chichester Festival Theatre, Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, and the Roald Dahl Story Company.

The show will premiere at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon in November 2025, travel to Chichester in March 2026, and finally take centre stage in Singapore from 22nd April 2026, where it promises to enchant audiences of all ages. This dazzling international collaboration will mark Singapore as the only stop outside the UK for the production’s inaugural run, a milestone moment that underscores the city’s growing reputation as a global arts destination.

For fans of Matilda the Musical and My Neighbour Totoro, the creative team behind The BFG will be familiar. The Royal Shakespeare Company, whose name has become synonymous with theatrical excellence, is now bringing Roald Dahl’s classic to life with its signature blend of imagination, scale, and heart. Said Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey, Royal Shakespeare Company Co-Artistic Directors, “We are thrilled to be working with Singapore Repertory Theatre and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay to share this exhilarating stage adaptation with audiences here in the UK and across the globe. This latest announcement is one of a number of exciting international collaborations currently in development at the RSC, as we continue to explore new opportunities to share our work.

The adaptation, written by Tom Wells and directed by Evans, has been years in the making. “Working alongside our co-producers, the Roald Dahl Story Company and Chichester Festival Theatre, this new production has been years in the making, and we are thrilled to be collaborating with such an exceptional creative team to dream up an unforgettable, larger-than-life theatrical experience,” Evans and Harvey added.

For Gaurav Kripalani, Artistic Director of the Singapore Repertory Theatre, The BFG marks an extraordinary milestone — both for SRT and for Singapore’s cultural landscape. Said Gaurav, “Co-producing Roald Dahl’s The BFG with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Chichester Festival Theatre and the Roald Dahl Story Company is a huge coup for Singapore. Outside the UK, we will be the first country in the world to present this original production. This is a once-in-ageneration opportunity, and I hope everyone rallies behind the show, buys a ticket, and helps us fly the flag proudly as The BFG goes on to capture hearts around the world.”

The collaboration builds on a long history of partnerships between SRT and Esplanade that have brought world-class theatre to Singapore’s shores — from Ian McKellen’s King Lear (2007) and Kevin Spacey’s Richard III (2011) to the 3 Titans of Theatre season in 2013 and the multi-award-winning The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2018). The BFG represents the next step in that evolution: an original international co-production on a scale rarely seen in Southeast Asia.

Since its publication in 1982, The BFG has been one of Roald Dahl’s most treasured stories. It tells the tale of Sophie, a curious orphan who is whisked away to Giant Country by a friendly giant who catches dreams instead of eating humans. Together, the unlikely pair embark on a daring quest to stop the child-eating giants once and for all.

For Yvonne Tham, Chief Executive Officer of The Esplanade Co Ltd, the story’s enduring appeal lies in its heart and humanity. “We are delighted to not only present but also to co-produce The BFG with Royal Shakespeare Company, Chichester Festival Theatre and the Roald Dahl Story Company. This international collaboration allows us to bring to stage a story that speaks to the universal values of looking beyond appearances and recognising the goodness in one another. We hope that this production will also be an entry point into the magic of theatre for the young and the young at heart, and spark the imagination of future generations.”

For the Chichester Festival Theatre, the journey from Stratford-upon-Avon to Singapore is as exciting as the story itself. Said Justin Audibert and Kathy Bourne, joint CEOs of Chichester Festival Theatre, “We are delighted to be welcoming Singapore Repertory Theatre and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay as co-producing partners for The BFG with the RSC and the Roald Dahl Story Company. It is thrilling that Daniel Evans’s production will be travelling from Stratfordupon-Avon and Chichester to Singapore. As one of the UK’s leading producing theatres, we aim to light a spark in everyone who experiences our work – locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. We know that audiences everywhere—from the smallest to the largest ‘human beans’—will love seeing Roald Dahl’s brilliantly imaginative and beloved creation come to life on stage.”

Meanwhile, Bernie Bhangoo, Managing Director of the Roald Dahl Story Company, believes the new adaptation captures the author’s signature blend of wonder, wit, and mischief. Said Bernie Bhangoo, Managing Director, the Roald Dahl Story Company, “We’re incredibly proud to bring this major new production of The BFG to Singapore. This show epitomises our ambition of telling Roald Dahl’s stories boldly, brilliantly and for today. This will be a truly stunning and wildly inventive piece of storytelling, helmed by a first-class creative team masterfully combining theatre, puppetry, digital spectacle and illusion.”

Audiences can expect an immersive experience that blends classic storytelling with cutting-edge theatrical magic. The cast includes John Leader as the Big Friendly Giant, with Elsie Laslett, Ellemie Shivers, and Martha Bailey Vine alternating in the role of Sophie. Helena Lymbery will play the Queen. Running approximately one hour and 50 minutes (including a 20-minute intermission), the show promises to transport audiences, young and the young at heart, into Dahl’s world of “snozzcumbers,” “whizzpoppers,” and dream jars.

So, gather your “chiddlers,” as the BFG himself might say, and prepare for an adventure that celebrates courage, kindness, and the boundless power of imagination. This is your chance to witness a once-in-a-generation collaboration, and to dream a little bigger.

The BFG plays from 22nd April to 2nd May 2026 at the Esplanade Theatre. Tickets available here and here