This is a warmly affectionate musical featuring the beloved bear that will delight audience members of all ages.
It takes a great deal of ambition and bravery to even attempt to bring this beloved bear and his story to the stage – thank goodness it succeeds to such wonderful and heartwarming effect.
Based on Michael Bond’s beloved books and the STUDIOCANAL films, Paddington the Musical follows the story of a small bear from Peru who is looking for a new home in London. He meets the Brown family who take him home to Windsor but soon he finds himself in trouble when a villainous character sets her sights on Paddington.
Featuring a book by Jessica Swale, the musical is filled with heartwarming and hilarious moments (the scene in which Paddington is exploring the Brown’s house to disastrous effect with plenty of surprises is a highlight) that really capture the spirit of what the character of Paddington embodies: love, family, friendship, kindness and belonging.
While it would have been easy to go overly sweet with the sentimentality, Paddington the musical knows exactly how to appeal to the heartstrings without going overboard. It showcases beautifully how each of the Brown family need Paddington to show them the way forward in their lives as much as he needs them – it is wonderfully endearing.
This feeling of warmth and strength of emotion is matched beautifully through Tom Fletcher’s wonderful music and lyrics that match the story perfectly in terms of emotion – as heard on songs such as ‘One of Us’ and ‘The Explorer and the Bear’ which pull on the heartstrings perfectly. But there is plenty of fun to be had as well (who knew I would enjoy and hum a song titled ‘Marmalade’ on the way home) as evidenced by ‘The Rhythm of London’ and ‘Don’t Touch That’. Fletcher really understands the characters and how to use the song to reflect a specific moment in the story.
What is also very endearing about this musical is that there are jokes for both adults and kids to enjoy (‘taking the pith’ is one example) to ensure that it keeps the story and characters and story is accessible no matter what your age is. There were audible ‘awws’ as Paddington claimed his blue duffle coat and gasps as the confrontation between Millicent Clyde came to a head – highlighting just how invested the audience was in seeing the story unfolding.
Everything about this production works: Luke Sheppard’s sincere and charming direction, Ellen Kane’s wonderfully ambitious set design with so many elements that it is awe inspiring, Gabriella Slade’s detailed costume design and Matt Brind’s joyous choreography.
The cast are all sublime. First of all – full credit to James Hameed and Arti Shah for bringing Paddington to life in such an endearing way that works so perfectly and cleverly that there are plenty of moments that bring a tear to the eye (yes this writer did have more than one tear in her eye) – they both bring this beloved character to life in a truly magical way.
Meanwhile, Bonnie Langford as Mrs Byrd is wonderfully hilarious (and once again puts her incredible flexibility to good use in one memorable sequence), Adrian Der Gregorian as Mr Brown captures the character’s cautiousness and growth with brilliancy (the scene at the Savoy Hotel is where he shines the most) and Amy Ellen Richardson as Mrs Brown shows warmth and depth as as she reflects on her dreams and aspirations. Her rendition of ‘One Page at A Time’ is a powerful moment in the show.
It is also hard to resist Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as the villainous Millicent Clyde, who offers an irresistible blend of hardness and resentment with a hint of vulnerability to ensure that audiences understand there is a reason why she is the way she is. Tom Edden as Mr Curry is absolutely brilliant in terms of comedy values – but even his character undergoes a change that is wonderful to witness.
Overall, Paddington the Musical is a joyous addition to the West End – long may the Bear from Peru make the West End stage his home!
By Emma Clarendon
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Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️