The eagerly-anticipated Paddington The Musical will receive its world premiere at London’s Savoy Theatre this autumn.
Developed by Sonia Friedman Productions, StudioCanal and Eliza Lumley Productions on behalf of Universal Music UK, the marmalade sandwich-loving Paddington Bear will spring into life on stage from 1 November.
Adapted from Michael Bond’s much-loved tales of the little bear from ‘deepest darkest Peru’, along with the award-winning films by StudioCanal and Heyday Films, the musical which features music and lyrics by McFly’s Tom Fletcher and a book by Jessica Swale will be directed by Luke Sheppard.
Discussing his involvement in the production, Fletcher 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 Jessica, Luke, and our producers Sonia and Eliza. 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. It’s beyond exciting, and an absolute dream come true – we look forward to welcoming you to join us at the Savoy this autumn.”
Swale added: “It’s such a privilege to be telling the story of this beloved cultural icon. Paddington is so much more than a fictional character; this special bear has come to represent hope, kindness and acceptance, so it’s never felt like a more apt time to bring this story to the stage. And with such a dream team! Tom’s songs are extraordinary, earworms on a first listen, Luke is the most masterful director, and our producers are so incredibly passionate and dedicated, it really is a great honour to be on this adventure with them all. I can’t wait to share this beautiful, funny and heartwarming story.”
Director Sheppard commented: “Discovering how to bring Paddington’s story to the stage continues to be an enormous privilege – with Jessica Swale and Tom Fletcher, it’s been thrilling to see this show grow into something very special, packing an incredible new score and a heart-wrenching script into a marmalade filled suitcase. This is Paddington as you’ve never seen him before, bought to life by a team celebrating all of the magic and wonder of live theatre. Alongside our producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley, who look after this bear with the greatest care, we’ve been dreaming up big things for Paddington and can’t wait to welcome him to this iconic venue later this year.”
Announcing the new London residence for the beloved bear, Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley said: “It’s a true honour to be giving Paddington a new home at the Savoy Theatre with this glorious and deliciously funny new musical from Tom Fletcher and Jessica Swale. We’re thrilled to be embarking on this special journey with our incredible team, led by Luke Sheppard, to bring the world of this much-loved bear, the Brown family, and many more of Michael Bond’s beloved characters to life. Paddington holds a unique and lasting place in so many hearts. He represents so much that is good in the world, including kindness, warmth and decency—and it’s an immense privilege to look after this bear as we bring him to the West End stage.”
Bond’s first book A Bear Called Paddington was published on 13 October 1958 by William Collins & Sons (now Harper Collins). Since its first publication, the Paddington Books series have sold more than 35 million copies worldwide and have been translated into over 40 different languages, including Latin.
Angela Thomas
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