Paddington the Musical paid a visit to the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom December 6 for a special performance of "The Explorer and the Bear.”

Featuring composer Tom Fletcher, dancers from the Strictly troupe, and of course, Paddington Bear himself, check out the performance below.

The musical, which officially opened November 30, has extended its run at London's Savoy Theatre to February 14, 2027, with tickets now on sale for the entirety of 2026.

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 (of & Juliet).

The role of Paddington is shared by Arti Shah (who portrays the beloved bear onstage) with James Hameed voicing Paddington offstage, as well as remote puppeteering the bear's face (Hameed also plays Young Man in the show).

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 is 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. Alternate Paddington onstage performers are Abbie Purvis and Ali Sarebani.

Paddington the Musical will also release a cast album, via Decca Records in March 2026, with a collectible vinyl edition released May 2026. The pre-sale link can be found here.

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. Tahra Zafar is the Paddington Bear designer.

Casting is by Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting (casting director), Nick Hockaday (young persons’ casting director), and Annabelle Davis (Paddington casting director).

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.

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Photos: Paddington the Musical in the West End

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