Paddington Will Take Center Stage in Musical Adaptation

Britain’s favorite marmalade-loving bear, Paddington, is coming to the stage in a new musical adaptation.

The announcement comes on the heels of the 65th anniversary of the original book, A Bear Called Paddington (1958), in which children’s author Michael Bond wrote about the little bear from “darkest Peru” for the first time. The text follows Paddington as he leaves home, arrives at his namesake station in London and begins life anew with a British family known as the Browns. Many sequels followed, and the books have sold over 35 million copies worldwide.

In recent years, Paddington has become even more ubiquitous. The bear made his feature-length debut on the big screen with Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017). He even met Elizabeth II in a skit for her Platinum Jubilee in 2022. A new film, Paddington in Peru, will premiere late next year.

The newly announced show—which has the working title Paddington: The Musical—will open in the United Kingdom in 2025. It’s still in development, though producers say it will be based on both the books and the films.

“The magic of Paddington is that, through his wide-eyed innocence, he sees the very best in humanity, reminding us that love and kindness can triumph if we open our hearts and minds to one another,” say Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley, the show’s producers, in a joint statement.

They add, “We cannot wait to bring Paddington, his antics, adventures and mishaps with the Brown family, and Michael Bond’s other treasured characters to the stage. We hope to inspire audiences of all ages with fun, beauty, joy and all that Paddington stands for.”

Tom Fletcher, a founding member of the band McFly, is writing the music and lyrics. Olivier award-winning playwright Jessica Swale is in charge of the book, while Luke Sheppard of & Juliet will direct.

The cast and plot synopsis have yet to be announced. “We will wait however long they need if it means we get a musical number with prisoners in pink uniforms doing a kickline,” writes Vulture’s Jason P. Frank.

The team hopes that the musical format will be the perfect fit for a character famous for his friendliness, good nature, optimism and warmth.

“We could not be more delighted to see our beloved Paddington take to the stage shepherded by a talented and visionary team in Sonia and Eliza,” says Anna Marsh, CEO of Studiocanal, which made the films and is also attached to the musical. “They have opened their hearts to show a deep understanding and passion for Paddington that will no doubt transpire on stage and ensure that his adventures, created by Michael Bond over 60 years ago, continue to charm audiences in such a new and innovative way.”

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.