Paddington the Musical opened November 30 in the West End, and the reviews are out (sans marmalade sandwiches). Read what critics had to say below. And scroll down for new production photos of the beloved bear.
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 Tom Fletcher, a book by Jessica Swale, and direction by Luke Sheppard (of & Juliet).
Read the reviews below.
- All That Dazzles (Daz Gale)
- City AM (Adam Bloodworth)
- Daily Mail (Patrick Marmion)
- Financial Times (Sarah Hemming)
- The Guardian (Arifa Akbar)
- The Independent (Alice Saville)
- London Theatre (Chris Omaweng)
- Observer (Katherine Cowles)
- Radio Times (Olivia Garrett)
- Shiny Shiny (Chris Price)
- South London (Michael Holland)
- The Stage (Sam Marlowe)*
- The Standard (Tim Bano)
- The Telegraph (Dominic Cavendish)*
- Theatre Weekly (Greg Stewart)
- Time Out New York (Andrzej Lukowski)
- The Times (Clive Davis)
- Variety (David Benedict)
- Whats OnStage (Sarah Crompton)
*This review may require creating a free account or a paid subscription.
Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.
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.
Company of Paddington the Musical
Adrian Der Gregorian
Adrian Der Gregorian, Leo Collon
Amy Booth Steel and company of Paddington the Musical
Amy Ellen Richardson in Paddington the Musical
Bonnie Langford in Paddington the Musical
Company of Paddington the Musical
Delilah Bennett Cardy, Adrian Der Gregorian, Amy Ellen Richardson, and Jasper Rowse in Paddington the Musical
Tarinn Callender and Bonnie Langford in Paddington the Musical
Tarinn Callender, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, and Tom Edden in Paddington the Musical
Teddy Kempner in Paddington the Musical
Teddy Kempner and James Hameed in Paddington the Musical
Timi Akinyosade and Brenda Edwards in Paddington the Musical
Timi Akinyosade, Brenda Edwards, and company of Paddington the Musical
Tom Edden in Paddington the Musical
Tom Edden and company of Paddington the Musical
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt in Paddington the Musical
Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and company of Paddington the Musical
James Hameed in Paddington the Musical
James Hameed, Arti Shah, and Amy Ellen Richardson in Paddington the Musical
Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear
Company of Paddington the Musical
Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear
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.
