Long-awaited Paddington: The Musical opens on the West End to paw-some acclaim

After more than five years in development, the new stage adaptation of Britain's favourite bear, Paddington, had its opening night at the Savoy Theatre this weekend, receiving rave reviews from audience and critics alike.

Paddington the Musical, written by Jessica Swale and directed by Luke Sheppard, is adapted from the 2014 film and Michael Bond's original books, featuring brand new songs by McFly's Tom Fletcher, and following the familiar marmalade and magic-infused tale of Paddington's arrival in London and adoption by the Brown family.

Tickets for Paddington the Musical are selling out as fast as you can say marmalade! Visit the website and book your tickets before it's too late.

Yet, the aspect of the play that is getting many people talking is how Paddington is presented on stage, especially given our familiarity with him as an entirely CGI character. On stage, Paddington is in fact a small woman (Arti Shah) in a bear costume (designed by Tahra Zafar), with someone else (James Hameed) doing the voice and remotely controlling the facial expressions from backstage.

This results in a truly immersive stage experience, with Sarah Hemming of the Financial Times saying: "The protagonist himself is a triumph. Furry but not too fluffy, endearing but not too cute, he has the slightly lived-in look of every favourite soft toy and is a beautifully pitched amalgam of real bear and ted."

Other initial reviews from the opening night say:

"This is the new Mary Poppins: a well-known story imaginatively staged, immaculately performed and utterly winning" - Arifa Akbar, The Guardian

"'One of the most wonderful theatrical creations in years. What could so easily have been a commercial cash-in is a triumph of warmth and fun and theatricality, with a wonderful creation at the heart of it" - Tim Bano, The Evening Standard

"At a time when the West End’s filling up with underfunded, ill-considered riffs on big-name franchises, we’re finally getting a show that’s made with serious heart, dedication, and enough spectacular special effects to thrill its audiences" - Alice Saville, The Independent

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Header image credit: Paddington The Musical on Facebook