Everything you need to know about 'Paddington The Musical'

The iconic bear is coming to the West End in an exciting brand-new musical, directed by Luke Sheppard.

Summary

• 'Paddington The Musical' is having its world premiere at the Savoy Theatre in London's West End
• The show is written by Tom Fletcher and Jessica Swale
• The story follows Paddington's arrival from Peru and him getting to know the Brown family

Grab your marmalade sandwiches and make a bee-line for the Savoy Theatre! Everyone’s favourite young bear, Paddington, is coming to the West End in a hugely anticipated new musical. The production features music by Tom Fletcher, a book by Jessica Swale, and direction by Luke Sheppard.

Most of the cast has been announced, including Amy Ellen Richardson, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Adrian Der Gregorian, and Bonnie Langford, although the top-secret information about how Paddington himself will be conjured up on stage is still under wraps. Learn more about this exciting musical event ahead of your trip.

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What is Paddington The Musical about?

The story follows our titular hero, who arrives in London from Peru and has a chance encounter with the Brown family, who bring him home to Windsor Gardens. Plenty of hijinks ensue as Paddington gets used to his new surroundings, and also gets to know the Browns and his new neighbours.

But just as Paddington begins to settle in, an evil villain sets her sights on him: taxidermist Millicent Clyde. It’s up to the Browns to embark on a rescue mission to save this eccentric, but beloved, new member of their family.

Who wrote Paddington The Musical?

Paddington features music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher. Formerly a member of hit boyband McFly, Fletcher has since become a successful children’s author and composer. Joining him in adapting Michael Bond’s beloved story for the stage is Olivier-winning book writer Jessica Swale, whose plays includes Nell Gwynn, Blue Stockings, and stage versions of titles like The Jungle Book and The Secret Garden.

What songs will be in Paddington The Musical?

Most of the songs are currently unknown for this new musical, but we do know there will be more than 18 original songs by composer and lyricist Fletcher, who previously created new musical The Creakers, which ran at the Southbank Centre earlier this year. The musical has released one song from the show called "The Explorer and The Bear", which is sung by Paddington as he searches for the Explorer, who had promised Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo that they would find a home in London if they ever needed one. Take a listen here:

Who are the characters in Paddington The Musical?

The vivid characters in Paddington include:

Paddington: an adventurous, kind-hearted young bear
Mr Brown: the risk-averse patriarch of the Brown family
Mrs Brown: his compassionate wife and a talented illustrator
Judy and Jonathan Brown: the Browns’ two school-age children
Mrs Bird: the family’s fiercely loyal housekeeper
Millicent Clyde: a villainous taxidermist at the Natural History Museum
Mr Gruber: a local antique shop owner who befriends Paddington
Mr Curry: the Browns’ mean-spirited neighbour

Where is Paddington The Musical playing?

The show is having its world premiere at the Savoy Theatre on Savoy Court in the heart of London’s West End. The theatre has a capacity of 1,158.

When is Paddington The Musical playing?

Paddington plays from Wednesday to Monday. Evening performances take place at 7pm on Mondays and Wednesdays to Saturdays, and at 6pm on Sundays. There are matinees on Mondays and Thursdays to Sundays at 2pm.

How long is Paddington The Musical?

The running time of the show is yet to be confirmed.

Who is in the cast of Paddington The Musical?

The principal cast features Timi Akinyosade (Tony), Amy Booth-Steel (Lady Sloane), Tarinn Callender (Grant), Delilah Bennett-Cardy (Judy Brown), Adrian Der Gregorian (Mr Brown), Tom Edden (Mr Curry), Brenda Edwards (Tanya), Amy Ellen Richardson (Mrs Brown), Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Millicent Clyde), Teddy Kempner (Mr Gruber), Bonnie Langford (Mrs Bird), and the role of Jonathan Brown is played by Joseph Bramley, Leo Collon, Stevie Hare, and Jasper Rowse.

The ensemble features Esme Bacalla-Hayes, Tiago Dhondt Bamberger, David Birch, Aimée Fisher, Jacqueline Hughes, Kellianna Jay, Sam Lathwood, Natasha Leaver, Katie Lee, Sunny Lee, Vicki Lee Taylor, Jáiden Lodge, Andilé Mabhena, Rose Mary O’Reilly, Ben Redfern, Hugo Rolland, and Simon Shorten.

Who is in the creative team of Paddington The Musical?

Paddington is directed by Luke Sheppard. His acclaimed productions include & Juliet, Starlight Express, Just For One Day, The Little Big Things, and In the Heights. The show also features choreography by Ellen Kane (Matilda The Musical movie), scenic design by Tom Pye (My Neighbour Totoro), costumes by Gabriella Slade (SIX), lightning by Neil Austin (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), and sound by Gareth Owen (MJ The Musical).

How are they doing the bear in Paddington The Musical?

That tantalising question will be answered when the run starts! There is plenty of speculation about how this all-important character will be brought to the stage: could Paddington be a puppet, an actor – either child or adult – in a bear costume, an animatronic, or even some sort of video projection or special effect? We have seen amazingly creative solutions to conjuring up iconic characters and worlds in theatre in recent years, so Paddington will surely follow suit.

What are some fun facts about Paddington The Musical?

• Paddington first appeared in our lives in Michael Bond’s 1958 book A Bear Called Paddington. It was the first of 29 Paddington books in his series, with the final one, Paddington at St Paul’s, published posthumously in 2018.

• Bond based Paddington on a forlorn, lone teddy bear that he spotted in a London shop: he bought it on Christmas Eve 1956 as a present for his wife. He was also inspired by seeing refugee and evacuee children during the Second World War bearing luggage labels.

• The story of the Paddington musical is based on both by Bond’s book series and the popular live-action film adaptations, which star Ben Whishaw as the voice of the titular bear, and which began in 2014.

• Paddington The Musical is produced by Sonia Friedman, who is also responsible for bringing fan-favourite shows Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Stranger Things: The First Shadow into the West End.

• Paddington is a cultural icon: he has appeared on 50p coins, in a comedy skit with the late Queen Elizabeth II, and he is immortalised in a bronze statue at the train station which gave him his name, London Paddington.

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Photo credit: Paddington The Musical (photos courtesy of the production, photo by Jay Brooks)