Actor thrilled to be picked for Roald Dahl play

Philip Labey is to play the role of Captain Smith in the Big Friendly Giant

A Jersey actor has landed a "dream role" in a Roald Dahl stage adaptation of the Big Friendly Giant (BFG).

Philip Labey said he was playing the role of Captain Smith, one of two of the Queen's military chiefs, in the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) production of the BFG.

He described it as a "joyous show" and said it was a privilege to be part of it having grown up with his parents reading Roald Dahl books to him and listening to the cassettes.

"I was a bit shocked and happily surprised they thought of me for it," he said.

The BFG is a co-production between the RSC, Chichester Festival Theatre and the Roald Dahl Story Company, and has been adapted by Tom Wells and directed by RSC co-artistic director Daniel Evans.

Mr Labey said the play highlighted the power dynamics and the idea size did not always mean power.

"The BFG might be a giant within his own giant community [but] he's quite small and quite powerless," he said.

"It talks about Sophie, this little eight-year-old orphan, and from the outside may look like she has no power, but she has imagination and power within herself to change the world."

The play opens at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-upon-Avon from 25 November 2025 to 7 February 2026.

It then moves to Chichester Festival Theatre from 9 March to 11 April and finishes at the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore from 22 April to 10 May.