London's Paddington stage musical began performances November 1 at the Savoy Theatre, and its star bear is ready for his close up! Get a first look at how the new show is bringing everyone's favorite marmalade-loving stuffy to life on the West End stage in the video and photos below.
Said producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley, “After many years of exploration and development, we are thrilled, alongside STUDIOCANAL, to finally bring Paddington to life on stage. It takes an extraordinary team to share this very special bear with the world—our amazing performers James and Arti; our brilliant alternates Abbie and Ali; and the incredible group of artists led by designer Tahra, alongside Audrey, Phill, and Annabelle. Their collective creativity and vision are at the heart of our production, and it has been a true collaboration, helmed by Luke Sheppard, our creative, associate, stage management, production, and development teams involved in supporting us in bringing Paddington to life in a truly beautiful and unique way."
For the production, Paddington is played by offstage performer and remote puppeteer James Hameed and onstage performer Arti Shah. The team behind the bear are designer Tahra Zafar, bear physicality associate director Audrey Brisson, remote puppetry coach Phill Woodfine, and casting director Annabelle Davis. Abbie Purvis and Ali Sarebani are the onstage Paddington alternates.
“What we as producers always hoped to achieve was, quite simply, Paddington on stage—and thanks to the immensely talented artists, both on and off stage, we believe we’ve realized that.”
Adapted from the much-loved children's books written by Michael Bond and the award-winning films by STUDIOCANAL, Paddington the Musical features music and lyrics by Fletcher, a book by Jessica Swale, and direction by Luke Sheppard (& Juliet). Opening night is November 30.
Michael Bond’s A Bear Called Paddington was first published in 1958, the first of 29 Paddington books he was to write, with the final book, Paddington at St. Paul's, published posthumously in 2018. The books have sold over 35 million copies worldwide.
The musical stars Timi Akinyosade as Tony, Amy Booth-Steel as Lady Sloane, Tarinn Callender as Grant, Delilah Bennett-Cardy as Judy Brown, Adrian Der Gregorian as Mr. Brown, Tom Edden as Mr Curry, Brenda Edwards as Tanya, Amy Ellen Richardson as Mrs. Brown, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as Millicent Clyde, Teddy Kempner as Mr. Gruber, and Bonnie Langford as Mrs Bird. The role of Jonathan Brown will be played by Joseph Bramley, Leo Collon, Stevie Hare, and Jasper Rowse.
They are supported by Esme Bacalla-Hayes, Tiago Dhondt Bamberger, David Birch, Aimée Fisher, Jacqueline Hughes, Kellianna Jay, Sam Lathwood, Natasha Leaver, Katie Lee, Sunny Lee, Vicki Lee Taylor, Jáiden Lodge, Andilé Mabhena, Rose Mary O’Reilly, Ben Redfern, Hugo Rolland, and Simon Shorten.
Casting is by Natalie Gallacher for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting with young persons' casting by Nick Hockaday. Produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, STUDIOCANAL and Eliza Lumley Productions on behalf of Universal Music UK, the run is currently scheduled to continue through October 25, 2026.
Sheppard leads a robust creative team, including music supervisor, arranger, and orchestrator Matt Brind; choreographer Ellen Kane; scenic designer Tom Pye; costume designer Gabriella Slade; lighting designer Neil Austin; sound designer Gareth Owen; video designer and animator Ash J Woodward; hair, wig, and make-up designer Campbell Young Associates; illustrator and additional animator Majid Adin; music director Laura Bangay, physical comedy consultant Javier Marzan, and additional music consultants Tobago and D-Lime.
The Paddington character is one of the most popular British fictional characters of all time. So popular, in fact, that when the Channel Tunnel was completed in 1994, a stuffed Paddington toy was chosen by the British tunnellers as the first item to pass through to their French counterparts as an expression of friendship. The anthropomorphised bear from "darkest Peru," with his red hat, battered suitcase, blue coat, and love of marmalade sandwiches, is one of the most popular bears in all of children's literature, second only to Winnie the Pooh. The Paddington books have been translated into 30 languages, making him an internationally beloved icon.
Paddington has been adapted for television several times, first by the BBC in 1976, voiced by Michael Hordern; and most recently adapted by STUDIOCANAL. Paddington has enjoyed three successful big-screen outings by STUDIOCANAL and Heyday Films. Paddington released in 2014, Paddington 2 in 2017, and Paddington in Peru in 2024, all of which enjoyed critical and commercial acclaim.
Visit PaddingtonTheMusical.com.
Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear
