London’s cutest new musical is here. Almost 70 years since he was first introduced to the public, and a decade after the first hit film, Paddington Bear is getting his very first stage musical.
The musical, which is set to debut at the Savoy Theatre later this year, will introduce audiences to the sight of everybody’s favourite marmalade-eating, red-hat-wearing ursine in person.
Even better, tickets for the show are already available to pre-book, via ATG Tickets, for its debut in late November. Tickets start from around £40 and can be bought here.
The show itself has been five years in the making, and will include characters straight from the Paddington franchise first brought to life by author Michael Bond in 1958, when he published his first book, A Bear Called Paddington – and told the story of a bear who turns up at Paddington station straight off the boat from Peru.
It features songs written, among others, by McFly’s Tom Fletcher, and is directed by Luke Sheppard. The bear, meanwhile, stands at around 4 feet tall and will be played by a real person: Arti Shah will be inside the costume, moving him, while James Hameed will be controlling the bear’s expressions and providing his voice.
While details from the plot remain scarce, the show synopsis seems to draw inspiration from the 2014 Paul King film, which starred Ben Whishaw as the voice of the titular bear.
“When a small, lost bear from Peru arrives in London in search of a new home, a chance encounter with the Brown family leads him to the wonderful world of Windsor Gardens,” it reads.
“But London isn’t all afternoon teas and friendly faces – and even the happiest families have their cracks beneath the surface. So when a mysterious and vengeful villain sets her sights on Paddington, the Browns embark on a thrilling rescue mission, realising they need this special bear as much as he needs them.”
Alongside Shah and Hameed, the play will also star Doctor Who’s Bonnie Langford as housekeeper Mrs Bird, Amy Ellen Richardson as Mrs Brown, Adrian Der Gregorian as Mr Brown and Tom Edden as Mr Curry.
