Paddington: The Musical has received a series of glowing reviews from critics after its official opening in theatres over the weekend.
The lost bear has now made it all the way from Peru to London’s West End in search of a new home and is sure to delight families in the run up to Christmas.
Directed by Luke Sheppard, with original music and lyrics by McFly‘s Tom Fletcher the show is now on at the Savoy Theatre and follows Paddington’s comic mishaps with the adoptive Brown family.
And first impressions were excellent with The Daily Mail’s Patrick Marmion praising its ‘off-the-scale cuteness’ and giving it five stars.
He writes: ‘Truly this is a great bear. An Ursa Major, as former BBC astronomer Patrick Moore might have said. Or, as the kids of today might put it, the new Paddington musical is ‘bear lit, bro’.
‘The eagerly anticipated show, based on Michael Bond’s children’s books, and drawing on the film starring Hugh Bonneville and Nicole Kidman, looks like a fixture – set to stay at the top of the West End tree for the foreseeable.’
The Telegraph was just as gushing in its four star review, calling it a ‘funny, feel-good sensation that looks set to run and run’.
Their chief theatre critic Dominic Cavendish wrote of the bear himself: ‘Children will love him and adults will warm to his restorative sweetness.’
He added that the new theatre show was ‘a very welcome addition to the British musical family.’
The Guardian also gave it the highest praise with another five star review, saying it was ‘immaculately performed’.
Their reviewer Arifa Akbar glowingly wrote: ‘State-of-the-art animatronics, imaginative staging, fabulous performances and some marvellous songs about marmalade make for an evening that will fill you with joy and melt your heart.’
She added in her review that she show will ‘likely bring in tourists in their hordes’.
The Independent followed suit and gave it five stars, calling it a ‘gloriously eccentric adaptation which transports this furry legend to the stage’.
Their reviewer Alice Saville added: ‘A super-realistic bear may be the draw, but this production abounds in warmth, eccentricity and ambition that goes beyond its huggable protagonist.’
The Stage gave it four stars, branding the show ‘sweeter than a marmalade sandwich.’
Their reviewer penned: ‘Irresistible ursine antics make a hit of this new musical based on Michael Bond’s beloved creation.’
Variety also gave it high praise in their review saying the production had a ‘beguiling charm’.
In particular they praised Fletcher’s music and lyrics, saying: ‘his comedy numbers are witty and, seized by the skilled cast, all the laughs land.’
Meanwhile, Time Out gave it four stars, even predicting it could run into a second musical.
They wrote: ‘When the maximalism works, it really works. And Paddington (the film) was always somewhat imperfect source material: let it run for a few years then have the same team make Paddington 2 the Musical, I say.’
It comes after Paddington Bear declared his iconic blue duffle coat as being ‘in vogue’ while sharing fashion and style advice in an interview released last week.
The loveable character took time away from the stage to chat with British Vogue in the Royal Suite of London’s Savoy Hotel.
As well as deconstructing his outfit, the glossy magazine lauded the loveable bear as the poster boy for ‘immigrants making good’ following his move to London from darkest Peru.
In a clip shared to Instagram Paddington was asked about his opinion of this season’s fashions, to which he replied: ‘Being winter, everyone is wearing coats and hats.’
‘I was told that British designers think duffle coats are very much in vogue, which I hear is a very good thing to be’.
When it comes to British style Paddington’s said due to the UK’s weather, he loved raincoats, umbrellas and wellington boots, which he branded both practical and stylish.
Meanwhile the magazine praised the character for being ‘inclusive, culturally diverse and accepting’.
For any fashion lovers hoping to replicate Paddington’s style he later went on to reveal just where he picked up both his unique look.
‘Well, my hat is very special because it belonged to the explorer Montgomery Clyde. He came to Peru a long time ago and was very kind to my Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo,’
‘So when I came to London, I was hoping to find him. And my coat belonged to [Paddington’s adoptive father] Mr Brown, then [adoptive brother] Jonathan and then they kindly gave it to me’.
Last week, the Princess of Wales said George, Charlotte, and Louis would be jealous that she and Prince William had a meet and greet with Paddington at the Royal Variety performance.
William and Catherine, both 43, joined an array of stars like Jessie J, Matt Lucas and host Jason Manford at the Royal Albert Hall in London, which senior members of the Royal Family take turns to support.
Among this year’s cast was the world-famous Paddington, whom both Catherine and William were particularly taken with. The future King even remarked on the bear’s ‘yummy’ sandwich.
‘Can I shake your hand? Your sandwich looks very nice,’ William asked the bear. ‘The way you were singing was totally incredible.’ And as Paddington tipped his hat, William beamed, pointing to his sandwich and saying: ‘It looks very yummy.’
However, it was before the annual charity event, when Kate told nine-year-old Emelie and Olivia Edwards, who handed the royal a stunning posy of winter-themed flowers, that her children would be sad not to have seen beloved Paddington.
Bending down to speak to the twins in a green velvet evening gown, the Princess called the flowers ‘sweet’ while asking the girls if they were excited about the night ahead and if they were Paddington fans.
Nodding, Catherine told them: ‘My kiddies will be very sad [to have missed the show], we are going to have to keep it a big secret.’
Bringing her finger to her lips, she added: ‘They were very sad not to be joining us.’
Paddington, which was first published in 1958, has seen a number of adaptations over the years, including a BBC TV version in 1976, voiced by the late Sir Michael Hordern.
The recent movies, released in 2014, 2017 and 2024, have all sky rocketed at the box office.
The new musical featuring music from McFly’s Fletcher and tells the story of the small bear from Peru as he lands in London where a chance encounter with the Brown family leads to him finding a new home.
Ahead of the show’s debut, hitmaker and children’s author Tom said he was ‘honoured’ to be trusted with the new gig.
He said: ‘It’s an honour to be entrusted to bring the story of Paddington to life on stage with the very best of creative collaborators in (playwright) Jessica (Swale), (theatre director) Luke (Sheppard), and our producers Sonia (Friedman) and Eliza (Lumley).
‘This unique and special bear is at the very heart of our nation, and I’m aware of the awesome responsibility we all have in taking on his story.
