PADDINGTON THE MUSICAL CAPTURES THE MAGIC, KINDNESS AND MISCHIEF OF LONDON’S FAVOURITE BEAR

By Madeleine Anderson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Press Invite

Michael Bond first took inspiration for Paddington from a small brown bear he bought for his wife in Selfridges in the 1950s. Given his long-standing love for trains and the railways, Bond named the bear after his local station of ‘Paddington’, which he lived near until his death in 2017. 

This anecdote, of a kind man noticing a solitary bear and naming him after a quintessential (but in many ways unremarkable) London station, captures the simple but stirring magic of Paddington’s story which has been reimagined as a musical for the West End stage.

‘Paddington the Musical’ is a love-story to London, with a dialogue that points to the modern parallels of Bond’s message in today’s capital. It digs at Britain’s imperial past and makes Paddington’s experience as an outcast refugee a central theme of the show. As one of the songs makes clear ‘this is history told our way.’

The show also weaves in other modern references, like portraying Judy Brown (the eldest daughter of the Brown family that Paddington lives with) as needing her headphones to ‘block out the world’. There is a light tongue-in-cheek nod to cancel culture, and even an appearance from an Uber driver who joins Paddington on stage.

Paddington’s refugee story isn’t the only one told in the show. Mr Gruber, played by Teddy Kempner, shares that he came to London from Hungary to escape persecution during the Second World War. Gruber runs the Old Curiosity Shop, which serves as both the opening and closing setting for the performance. In an interesting creative choice, Kempner also takes on the role of the explorer Montgomery Clyde, a dual casting decision that adds an extra layer of connection between Paddington’s past and the wider themes of travel and good spiritedness which shape the story.

Paddington himself is utterly endearing, with an expressive face and signature red hat – later accompanied by a bright blue duffle coat – which saw the audience gasp when he first appeared on stage.

The 3ft 6in body of Paddington is performed by Arti Shah, whose precise and thoughtful movement gives the bear a confrontingly real presence. Her physicality captures the curiosity, eagerness and occasional clumsiness that define the much-loved bear.

Paddington’s voice is provided remotely by James Hameed, who also operates his facial expressions. Hameed appears on stage at the start and end of the performance, creating a playful and charming connection between Paddington’s body, his face, and the audience.

Together, Shah and Hameed bring Paddington to life in a way that feels both faithful and fresh. Whether you have loved Paddington for years or are meeting him for the first time, this musical captures the sincere  kindness and gentle mischief that are core to his furry power.

The score, from McFly’s Tom Fletcher, is incredibly catchy and provides an unwavering energy and sensitivity that is perfectly on beat throughout the performance. In fact, Fletcher’s own version of ‘One Of Us’ from the show has already been tipped as a possible Christmas number one.

The London skyline twinkles in the corners of the stage for much of the performance, and the vivid, Quality Street-style colour palette gives the whole production a glowing warmth. The staging is utterly faultless and often remarkably inventive, making especially strong use of moving images that are projected across the ceiling and walls. At times, the combination of animation and set design makes scenes feel like comic books springing to life, delivering a playful energy that perfectly matches Paddington’s world.

A final mention must go to Stevie Hare who is making his West End debut as Jonathan Brown. Like Paddington, Hare commanded the stage in spite of his small height. He delivered a quick-paced and complex script with confidence and brilliant comic timing. I’m excited to see what he does next.

If I could give Paddington the Musical more than five stars I would, but for now five marmalade-gold stars will have to do.

Paddington the Musical is running at the Savoy Theatre until October 2026.

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Photo Credit: Johan Persson