The BFG Adaptation 1

From The BFG

By: Roald Dahl
Adapted for Readers Theater by Caroline Siewert and Emily Moog

Characters: Narrator 1
Narrator 2
Sophie
BFG
The Queen
The Maid

Narrator 1: Our readers theatre presentation is from The BFG by

Roald Dahl. The two main characters are Sophie and the BFG, who is
also known as the Big Friendly Giant. Throughout the story the two
main characters run into many interesting characters along their
way. These characters include the Queen of England and her maid.
The relationship between the BFG and Sophie begins in a rough way.
They meet at an orphanage where the BFG steals Sophie away
because he is afraid that she has seen too much.

Narrator 2: At first Sophie is scared to death, but once her fear of

the BFG goes away they become best friends. However, she soon
finds out that not all giants are kind; in fact most giants actually eat
human beans. Sophie wants to stop the vicious acts of the giants so
she begins plotting a plan with the BFG. This is where our story
begins.
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Sophie: Do you know where the others go every night?

BFG: Yes, they always tell me where they are going.

Sophie: Why dont you ever stop them? Why dont you go chase
after them and tell them to stop eating human beans?

BFG: Cause they wouldnt listen. Plus Im the smallest giant out
there. They would overpower me in one second.

Sophie: What if we made a plan to stop them?

BFG: It wouldnt work.

Sophie: What if we told the Queen of England? I bet she could stop
the giants.

BFG: She would never believe that giants were real. People dont
believe in giants, remember?

Sophie: I have an idea!

BFG: Whatever it is, it is not going to work. Im telling you they

cannot be stopped.

Sophie: You can mix dreams to make any kind of dream you wanted
to, right?

BFG: Yes, I can.

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Sophie: Say I wanted to dream that I was riding a purple flying pig
through the night sky. Could you make it happen?

BFG: Of course I could.

Sophie: Well what if we could make the Queen of England dream

that there were giants out there eating human beans and children?
BFG: When she woke up she would not believe the dream was real.

Sophie: What if at the end of the dream you put a small girl that
looks like me sitting on the window sill? Then when she wakes up I
will be sitting there on the window sill to tell her it is all real.

BFG: If somebody dreams something and wakes up to see that at

least part of it is really happening then they will believe the rest of
the dream is true. Sophie, you are a genius!

Sophie: Come on! Hurry up! I want you to start mixing the dream.

BFG: Alright, alright. Im coming!

Narrator 1: The BFG started grabbing jars of dreams off the shelves
and mixing them together. Colors were splashing everywhere as the
dream that could save everyone was being made.

BFG: Its done!

Sophie: The jar is trembling that looks scary.

BFG: That is because it is a nightmare full of big, scary giants. This

dream will be sure to scare the Queen!
 The BFG Adaptation 4

Narrator 2: Later, arriving at the Palace of the Queen, the plan was
unravelling beautifully.

The BFG was taking the glass jar from the pockets of his cloak. He
unscrewed the lid. Now, very cautiously, he poured the precious
dream into the wide end of a trumpet. He steered the trumpet
through the curtains, far into the room, aiming it at the place where
he knew the bed to be. He took a deep breath. He puffed out his
cheeks and poof, he blew.

With all of the patience of a small girl who has something important
to wait for, Sophie sat motionless on the window-sill.

How much longer? she wondered. What time do Queens wake up?

Narrator 1: Then, all at once, beyond the curtains, she heard the
voice of the sleeper in the bedroom. It was a slightly blurred sleep-
talkers voice. Oh no! it cried out. No! Dont - Someone stop them! -
Dont let them do it! - I cant bear it! - Oh please stop them! - Its
horrible! - Oh, its ghastly!- No! No! No!...

She is having a dream, Sophie told herself. It must be really horrid. I

feel so sorry for her. But it has to be done.

Sophie waited.
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Inside the room, beyond the curtains, Sophie suddenly heard what
was obviously a knock on the door.

Maid: Good morning, Your Majesty, a woman was saying. It was the
voice of an oldish person. Will you have your tray on the bed,
maam, or on the table?

Queen: Oh Mary! Something awful has just happened! Ive just had
the most frightful dream! It was a nightmare! It was awful!

Maid: Oh, I am sorry, maam. Dont be distressed. Youre awake now

and it will go away. It was only a dream, maam.

Queen: Do you know what I dreamt, Mary? I dreamt that girls and
boys were being snatched out of their beds at boarding-school and
were being eaten by the most ghastly giants! The giants were
putting their arms in through dormitory windows and plucking the
children out with their fingers! One lot from a girls school and
another from a boys school! It was all so...so vivid, Mary! It was so
real!

Narrator 2: There was a silence. Sophie waited. She was quivering

with excitement. But why the silence? Why didnt the other one, the
maid, why didnt she say something?

Queen: What on earth's the matter, Mary?

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Narrator 2: There was another silence

Queen: Mary! Youve gone as white as a sheet! Are you feeling ill?

Narrator 2: There was suddenly a crash and a clatter of crockery

which could only have meant that the tray the maid was carrying
had fallen out of her hands.

Queen: Mary! I think youd better sit down at once! You look as
though youre going to faint!

Maid: Im very sorry about the tray maam.

Queen: Oh, dont worry about the tray. But what on earth was it that
made you drop it? Why did you go white as a ghost all of a sudden?

Maid: You havent seen the papers yet, have you, maam?

Queen: No, what do they say?

Narrator 1: Sophie heard the rustling of a newspaper as it was

being handed over.

Maid: Its like the very dream you had in the night, maam!