Paddington the Musical
Savoy Theatre
Paddington the Musical is Pure-Theatrical Magic
After months of anticipation, I finally got the chance to see the hit new British musical, Paddington at The Savoy Theatre. You might assume Paddington is just a silly show for children, or the newest in a line of major franchises to be adapted to the stage, but this fluffy musical contains a deceptively compelling message about the importance of acceptance, compassion, and community.
Paddington Bear is a cultural phenomenon, known across London and the world for his endearing personality and love of marmalade. But, as the musical reveals, his story is so much more than that. At its core, Paddington is about someone forced to flee their home and seek refuge in an entirely unfamiliar place, reliant on human kindness. It is the complex reality immigrants face everyday, packaged as a lovable little bear in a red hat. Given the current political climate, this is an aspect of the story that would be easy to shy away from. Instead, Tom Fletcher (book and lyrics) and Jessica Swale’s (book) Paddington the Musical embraces it wholeheartedly.
The show mostly follows the plot of the first Paddington movie. After his home is destroyed in Peru, a bear arrives at Paddington station with nothing but a hat, a marmalade sandwich, and a tag around his neck reading “London, please look after this bear”. The Brown Family —consisting of artistic Mrs. Brown (Amy Ellen Richardson), cautious Mr. Brown (Adrian Der Gregorian), temperamental pre-teen Judy (Delilah Bennett-Cardy), and witty nine (and a half!) year old Johnathan (Leo Collon on night of performance*) — find the poor bear alone. Despite some reluctance from Mr. Brown, they invite him to stay the night and name him after the station where they found him, Paddington. Overcoming a shaky start living in the Brown’s home, Paddington ultimately becomes an integral member of the dysfunctional family. What ensues is a raucous, outrageously fun adventure.
Bringing this beloved British bear to life is a tremendous team effort. James Hameed provides brilliant off-stage vocals and remote puppeteering, while Arti Shah provides the on-stage performance, occupying a furry animatronic suit designed by Tahra Zafar. The result is a remarkably convincing and heart-warmingly emotive bear; from the moment he arrives on stage, you can’t help but fall in love.
Accompanying Paddington and the Brown family is a sizable company of character actors, each offering their own scene-stealing performances. Portraying Mrs. Bird, the Brown Family’s lodger, is the incomparable Bonnie Langford. She is as captivating as ever, but particularly shines in a dazzling Act 2 number, “Its Never Too Late”. Taking on the show’s antagonist, the evil taxidermist Millicent Clyde, is the incredible Victoria Hamilton-Barritt. Hamilton-Barrett is show-stopping. She’s deliciously unhinged and comedic, and delivered perhaps the strongest performance of the night with her stand-out song “Pretty Little Dead Things”.
Equally notable performances came from the hilarious Tom Edden as Mr. Curry and Amy Booth-Steel as head of the Geographer’s Guild, Lady Sloane. Edden is a natural as the uptight and eccentric Mr. Curry. His quippy one-liners and constant audience interactions were uproarious. Booth-Steel was utterly ridiculous. She had the audience cackling at her pretentious air while simultaneously mispronouncing basic words like “member” (“muhm-ba”).
The brilliantly talented cast and uplifting storytelling is a combination for the ages. It is exceedingly rare to experience this level of pure theatrical magic onstage. Artistically rich and utterly enchanting, Paddington the Musical has something for everyone. Its message is one the world needs to hear.
Paddington the Musical at The Savoy Theatre is booking now through May 2027.
*The Role of Johnathan is shared by Joseph Bramley, Leo Collon, Stevie Hare, and Jasper Rowse
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewer: Jordyn Murray
Photo: Johan Persson