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A little orphan girl and her supersize pal will join forces to save the world’s children when The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) comes to the �㽶ֱ��Riley Center in downtown Meridian as a family show Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.

The Dallas Children’s Theater On Tour production was adapted for the stage by David Wood from the book by Roald Dahl.

Beloved children’s author Dahl -- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Fantastic Mr. Fox -- said this was his favorite of all his books. Wood, Britain’s most popular children’s playwright, adapted it with nonstop fantasy action to please children and plenty of cleverness to delight adults. The production involves actors, gigantic puppets, special effects, and hilarious dialogue featuring some gloriumptiously creative words.

Sophie the orphan and the Big Friendly Giant do eventually triumph over evil, with a little help from the Queen of England. Douglass Burks, the play’s director, promises “a very visually dynamic and thoughtful production appealing to a broad age range.”

The show is recommended for children age 7 or older.

“We are attempting to capture the wildly colorful world that is uniquely Dahl’s, but also explore the story’s sensitive themes of diversity and unexpected friendships, societal outcasts, and surprising heroes,” Burks said.

Tickets are $18 for adults and $10 for students at the �㽶ֱ��Riley Center Box Office, which is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets can be purchased online at or by calling the box office at 601-696-2200.