From humble beginnings in deepest Peru to having tea with the Queen at her Platinum Jubilee, a sure bear holds a particular place in our nation’s hearts. He could cover marmalade sandwiches underneath his hat however he is additionally been preserving a blockbuster present up his sleeve…
Primarily based on the beloved books by Michael Bond and the 2014 movie, with music and lyrics by McFly popstar Tom Fletcher, Paddington the Musical is ready to carry the bear’s origin story to the stage in spectacular trend when it opens at London’s Savoy Theatre tonight.
The present follows the lovable chap’s bewildered arrival and his antics with the Brown household, lovely antiques seller Mr Gruber and grumpy neighbour Mr Curry, plus the villainous taxidermist Millicent Clyde. However scriptwriter Jessica Swale additionally guarantees “a lot of juicy new materials and folks”.
Bonnie Langford performs the Brown’s housekeeper Mrs Hen and tells me she loves hiding within the wings each evening to observe the second when Paddington first seems, with Arti Shah respiratory life into Paddington contained in the costume with the long-lasting pink hat and blue duffel coat, whereas James Hameed gives his voice and remote-controlled facial expressions.
“It’s like a rock star, folks simply scream,” Bonnie grins. “They put one hand as much as their face, then begin to tear up, typically the adults much more than the children. It is stunning.”
For over 20 years, Tom’s been used to all that touring the world together with his band however he tells me he is loving being on the opposite aspect this time. “On my goodness, now I’m the screaming fan,” he laughs. “I cry more durable than anybody when he steps onto stage. Being sat within the viewers and seeing everybody else laughing and crying, I really feel so fortunate.”
Theatre can typically appear stuffy, however everybody concerned is unabashedly pleased with the emotional affect the present has been having in previews.
“I solely know the right way to make theatre with my coronary heart, exhibits that may transfer folks,” director Luke Shepperd tells me. “I all the time take into consideration when my household would carry me and my brother to see one present a 12 months and it was a extremely large deal, a household occasion. It actually mattered to us.”
Bonnie additionally believes there’s one thing distinctive about this explicit present and its furry main man.
“There’s one thing terribly magical about him and actually disarming. Your cynicism and all of your angst drop away at one thing so sincere and pure, on the wide-eyed innocence and surprise. It offers you permission to chortle, cry and cheer.”
This might all be reasonably cloying and twee, however Bond’s creation all the time rises above that.
“It’s extremely telling and likewise very humorous,” Bonnie says. “Paddington disarms everybody by displaying us the best way we maintain on to issues as adults is fairly foolish. The stunning half is, none of it’s shaming or blaming. He is not judging folks.”
But everybody concerned is deeply conscious they are going to be dealing with judgement from audiences and followers of the books – particularly in the event that they get something mistaken. “It was an enormous alternative however one which got here with nice accountability,” admits the present’s director Luke Shepperd. “Paddington’s treasured by so many, the movies are sensible, the books are extraordinary. The label round his neck saying, ‘Please take care of this bear’, is one we’ve held on to as a mantra.”
He reveals the present already has approval from the very best stage.
“Michael Bond’s daughter Karen has been to our workshops and previews, and her steering has been invaluable. She’s been a champion of the mission whereas additionally actually trusting us to inform our model. It’s been thrilling watching her fall in love with this new model of Paddington. There’s been nothing however kindness and help from her.”
5 years within the making, James, Tom and Jessica had been concerned from the beginning, culminating in a six-week workshop final Christmas.
“We began with a clean web page and received a variety of issues mistaken alongside the best way,” laughs James. “Let me simply say, there are some pigeons and it took us a extremely very long time to determine them out!
“We checked out a number of methods of doing Paddington himself. We explored puppetry after which Tahra Zafar, who designed the bear, got here in early on. We had been impressed by having Paddington on stage with out anyone round him working him. He lives and he breathes in that area. The story is about him being alone, trying to find a house, so displaying that was our driving pressure.”
James has directed Olivier Award-winning musicals like In The Heights and spectacular crowd-pleasers Starlight Specific however admits the size of Paddington is on one other stage.
“40 folks on rollerskates was actually good preparation,” he laughs.
“I’ve to pinch myself. It is by far the largest factor I’ve been concerned in, the largest present The Savoy has ever seen. Not simply visually, with costumes, units and three large screens, we’ve additionally received the largest orchestra we might slot in. Lots of of individuals are concerned. We wish it to really feel like an thrilling, vibrant factor that blows your thoughts.”
Luke’s additionally enthusiastic about bringing in new audiences to the theatre. His present & Juliet rewrote Shakespeare and Ann Hathaway’s marriage to a Nineteen Nineties pop jukebox soundtrack, whereas Simply For One Day celebrates Stay Support. Each had been large hits with a pop and rock crowd who may not often go to a musical.
“Theatre can typically be seen as intellectual and pop music as extra accessible,” he says. “I’m excited about blurring these strains.”
Even so, it nonetheless feels courageous to usher in a pop star to compose an enormous, conventional household present. What not everybody is aware of, nonetheless, is that whereas Tom could have written ten UK primary hits, he educated on the Sylvia Younger Theatre College and his sister Carrie is a serious West Finish star.
“Tom has musical theatre in his coronary heart,” says James. “He was born to work on this artwork kind. We had been really in Oliver! collectively on the Palladium as children.”
Again in 1995, aged 10, Tom had the lead position in Oliver! and he tells me Paddington seems like coming residence. “I spent my total childhood obsessive about musical theatre and I all the time thought my life would have one thing to do with that. After which McFly occurred and took over my life in all one of the best methods,” he says. “So to return to the factor that I like feels actually particular. And to be on a mission like that is past something I might have dreamed. It means the world to me.”
He has composed over 18 unique songs and admits it has been the best problem of his life but additionally “pure pleasure” flexing his musical muscle tissues.
“The essence of Paddington is within the tales, there may be all the time a lot coronary heart and superb characters,” he says. “Each time I used to be looking for lyrics I’d open the books and the reply was all the time there on the web page.
“What’s so superb concerning the present is that it’s about so many alternative folks, it’s so various. Every of these characters allowed us to discover completely different musical kinds. So in case you’re writing for Mr Gruber, it’s utterly completely different musical language than Mr Curry or for Paddington.”
That core theme from the books of London as a welcoming melting pot for thus many alternative lives, cultures and tales is deeply necessary to James.
“This present is about celebrating distinction,” he says, “but additionally about bringing folks collectively in a single constructing who might need completely different outlooks. I take into consideration bringing kindness and pleasure. I make theatre that’s inclusive and at its beating coronary heart presents a imaginative and prescient of a world that I need to stay in.”
For me, that world all the time consists of Bonnie doing the splits, I tease her.
“There’s one thing wildly amusing concerning the splits,” she grins, “I appear to do it in the whole lot now. One Christmas, when mum and pa had been nonetheless alive, I regarded round and all of us discover it very comfy to sit down with one leg straight up within the air. It is regular for us however I keep in mind considering, ‘That is bizarre, really.”
With so many family and friends who’ve labored their complete lives on stage, how does she really feel about celeb ‘stunt casting’?
“It is a very aggressive, tough world,” says Bonnie, “however so long as they’ll do the job… We want individuals who can promote tickets. It is no good being in one of the best stored secret on the town.
“In a manner, Paddington’s our trump card. He brings folks in, but it surely’s not simply him there. We give them a sensational present with a lot extra on high of that. It is pure magic.”
Paddington The Musical is at the moment reserving at The Savoy Theatre till October 2026; go to paddingtonthemusical.com
