The Reviews For Paddington Are In!
It's nice having a bear about the house, and in the West End!
The world premiere of Paddington The Musical at London's Savoy Theatre has gone down better than a marmalade sandwich.
Through a clever mix of puppetry and performance, with James Hameed working remotely behind the scenes and Arti Shah taking centre stage to guide Paddington's on-stage adventures.
With original music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher of McFly and a book by Olivier-award winning playwright Jessica Swale (Nell Gwyn, Stig of the Dump) and directed by Olivier Award nominee Luke Sheppard (& Juliet, In the Heights), the show reimagines Paddington's journey from his homeland to the heart of London, drawing inspiration from the treasured books and smash hit films that made us all fall in love with the marmalade loving bear.
Let's see what the critics are saying.
Paddington Critic Reviews
"It is irresistible; delicious and guilt-free. Here the politics of Paddington do not stand naively in the way of entertainment: for all the idealism, a Peruvian bear cannot make the world kinder, any more than the stage can offer perpetual sanctuary. But he will draw people - from near and far - to a city that is not short of loveliness, though the weary cannot see it. Soft power that's Paddington's gift." - Observer
"And the production becomes intensely moving by the end. It defiantly gives our divided times one of Paddington's famous "hard stares". Above all, it's about empathy and acceptance, joyously celebrating the role of theatrical storytelling in making those qualities manifest. It's when Hameed and Shah step forward simply as themselves at the end, that it fully hits home: although its star is a small bear, this is really a show about humanity." - Financial Times
"Fletcher's music and lyrics are mostly more effective than fully affecting and are better at delivering states of mind than moving plot forward. But his comedy numbers are witty and, seized by the skilled cast, all the laughs land. And in an era where musicals too often topple over into high seriousness, the return of musical comedy is lapped up by the audience, nowhere more so than in one of the show's highpoints, the Act Two opener." - Variety
"The songs by McFly's Tom Fletcher are very decent: none are sidesplittingly funny, though there are some nicely droll numbers about London, marmalade and whatnot. The heart of it actually lies in big sweeping ballads like The Explorer and the Bear' and One of Us' they add a sense of yearning that nicely contrasts with the goofier action of the actual story. It's a little short on bangers but there's a good sprinkling of decent choruses." - TimeOut
"London has a new tourist attraction: at the Savoy, Paddington Bear has been brought to life in a funny, feel-good, family-friendly musical that looks set to run and run." - The Telegraph
"There are gleeful stagey in-jokes: Edden correctly boasts that he's a "triple threat", and Langford reminds us she was in Cats. That's all of a piece with a production that wears its theatricality proudly: this is the Paddington we love, but reborn in a distinctly new medium. It invites a live audience in to become part of the story. It's also a musical with a hero, and a message, that feels more important than ever to emulate "Kindness isn't complicated". I tip my hat to Paddington: the small bear is a big hit." - London Theatre
"Paddington The Musical is not content to be glossy family entertainment. It is a work of sincerity and craft, a production that captures the spirit of the books without leaning on nostalgia. It speaks to values that feel urgently needed in a fractured world: kindness, community, resilience. It makes you laugh, it makes you proud of London, and it leaves you craving a marmalade sandwich. Children sit transfixed, adults leave charmed, and everyone feels a little better about humanity." - Theatre Weekly
"If you think all this doesn't exactly sound like classic family show fare, you'd be entirely right. But somehow this production's edgier, darker touches only heighten the gorgeously bright palette that this story is working in. Sheppard's staging abounds with warmth, eccentricity and ambition, from its huge-hearted musical numbers to costume designer Gabriella Slade's cosy multicoloured knitted get-ups. Like a big game hunter, it aims at huge moving targets and hits them, again and again." - Independent
"Irresistible ursine antics make a hit of this new musical based on Michael Bond's beloved creation." - The Stage
"Fletcher's nimbly crafted songs come with deft lyrics and, occasionally, sleek harmonies that wouldn't be out of place on an early Queen anthem. One of Us brings the first act to a thunderous conclusion, Don't Touch That is the jaunty backdrop to a string of domestic mishaps. Just when the score starts to feel lacking in variation Marmalade opens the second act with a cheerful waltz tempo adorned with big-hearted choreography by Ellen Kane." - The Times
"So, yes, that bear. He's been the subject of much speculation over the last months as people puzzled how they'd conjure him in real life without making him look naff. Designer Tahra Zafar solved the problem. Made up of two performers James Hameed providing a lovely gentle voice offstage, not unlike Ben Whishaw's in the film but with an extra naivety, and Arti Shah in a ridiculously cute bear suit with animatronic eyes and mouth he is uncanny in a very beautiful way. In the few moments the show slackens, you just need to look at the bear to marvel all over again. He's got to be one of the most wonderful theatrical creations of recent years, up there with the War Horse puppets or the billowing dress during Defying Gravity in Wicked." - The Standard
"Sure it is full of schmaltz and cliched Englishness Beefeaters, church bells, men with umbrellas, and dustbin men who look like Dick Van Dyke's chimney sweep. But it is self-consciously done and knowingly verges on parody Geographers' Guild members march on to speak of empire and the Elgin marbles, as one example." - The Guardian
"It is these moments of excess, that one message becomes clear: this is a musical that loves musicals. In a traditional style reminiscent of Cole Porter, Paddington isn't afraid to give you kick lines and hearty ballads, no doubt impacted by Tom Fletcher's upbringing in musical theatre. But, it seems to me the perfect way to introduce your child to the spectacle that musicals can really be." - RadioTimes
