Joy Watters reviews the latest Christmas show from 'the hard-working ensemble' of Dundee Rep.
This year Dundee Rep turns to the ever popular children's writer Roald Dahl for its festive entertainment. Adapted for the stage by David Wood, the story is turned into a play to be performed by the guests at a children's party.
The action expands as young Sophie and the Big Friendly Giant become allies in the fight against the nasty giants who love to munch on a little human bean. Party-giver Sophie (an engaging Stephanie McGregor) becomes the heroine of the tale, using a little Sophie puppet to mark the sizeable contrast between herself and the BFG. The “only nice and jumbly giant in Giant Country” is given an endearingly laid-back performance by Ali Craig.
The story really gets into its stride in the second half as the giants become huge puppets, drawing gasps from the children in the audience with their sheer size. The first half of the show met with a mixed response, failing to fully connect with some of the children, but the injection of some theatricality in the later stages with giant puppets and lots of action certainly got them going. One thing that got all those little ones chuckling naughtily was that good old panto favourite, a fart joke or two, in this case the BFG's whizzpoppers.
Joe Douglas' production builds to a fun finale as Sophie and the BFG enlist the help of the Army, the Air Force and even the Queen in their battle against the child-eating giants. It's a good looking piece with some lovely characterisation from the hard-working ensemble. This is not a show with anything Christmassy about it: it is a piece of story-telling for all seasons.
Runs at Dundee Rep until Dec 31
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