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Paddington The Musical

 
Pete Shaw Review by Pete Shaw 5 Published: 16 Feb 2026 Savoy Theatre Show Dates: 1 Jul 2026-13 Feb 2028

There is something quietly bold about installing a small Peruvian bear in the Savoy Theatre and asking him to carry a full-scale West End musical. Paddington rises to the occasion with marmalade-smeared charm and a surprisingly stirring heart. The story broadly mirrors the first film, tracing the bear’s journey from Peru to London and his search for the explorer Montgomery Clyde, but the stage version deepens and enriches it with a generous score and a distinctly theatrical sense of mischief.

Paddington may be small, but this musical thinks big

We begin in Mr Gruber’s shop of curiosities, where every object has a history. A young man discovers a teddy bear on a shelf and Gruber begins to tell the tale of how that bear travelled across oceans. In a swift transition we are at Paddington Station, where our as-yet-unnamed hero discovers that Londoners are not quite as friendly as Aunt Lucy suggested. Salvation arrives in the form of the Brown family, with Mrs Brown persuading her cautious husband to offer the stranger a bed for the night. From there the show unfolds with warmth and escalating chaos.

Paddington is realised through a deft theatrical double act. Arti Shah inhabits the beautifully engineered bear on stage, while James Hameed supplies voice and remote puppetry from off stage, stepping into view when emotional focus demands it. The costume alone is a marvel, capable of the subtlest eyebrow lift and eye flicker, and Shah’s enthusiastic bum wiggles add an irresistible layer of physical comedy.

When Paddington first arrives at the Browns’ home, the house is all but demolished in a sequence reminiscent of a Universal Studios backlot tour. As cupboards collapse and fixtures explode, the company launch into the riotous Don’t Touch That, a masterclass in escalating slapstick. Later, a joyous full-ensemble ode to marmalade sends choreography and the vast LED screen into overdrive, only for Amy Booth-Steel to wander on in the next scene dressed as a marmalade sandwich, glance around in confusion and sigh, “Ah, I missed it.” It is that kind of show.

Booth-Steel proves invaluable in multiple comic guises, notably as the gloriously accented Lady Sloane of the Geographers Guild – “are you a mumber?” The Brown’s meddling neighbour, Mr Curry (Tom Edden), gleefully minces through scenes and chips away at the fourth wall in the second act, while Victoria Hamilton-Barritt relishes villainy as Millicent Clyde of the Natural History Museum, delivering taxidermy-themed menace with panto flourish. Veteran Bonnie Langford brings brisk authority and warmth to Mrs Bird, now firmly the Browns’ household’s organising force.

The production values are lavish. Lighting spills into the auditorium, sound design is astonishingly clear and the sets and costumes brim with storybook detail. Beneath the spectacle lies a simple, resonant message about welcoming outsiders. In the current climate, it lands with particular force. By curtain call, it is hard not to feel a swell of pride, both in this city and in a musical that understands exactly what Paddington stands for.

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The Blurb:

Bringing one of Britain’s best-loved characters to life on stage, this unmissable major new production at the Savoy Theatre is jam-packed with irresistible songs, dazzling choreography – and of course, marmalade sandwiches. It’s Paddington as you’ve never seen him before. When a lost, small 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. But London isn’t all cream teas and friendly faces – and even the happiest families have their cracks beneath the surface. So when Paddington’s life is suddenly in peril, the Browns must decide just how far they’re willing to go — and what they’re willing to risk — to give this special bear a home. Based on the iconic characters from Michael Bond’s books and the award-winning films, PADDINGTON The Musical is directed by Luke Sheppard, with original music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher and book by Olivier Award-winner Jessica Swale. Please look after this bear.