This little bear will run and run
Savoy Theatre
The critics’ hearts were captured by the little bear from Peru. Even those who found faults in the production still awarded four stars. For the majority who gave five star reviews, it was not only the clever creation of the little chap but every aspect of the production pleased. This one could run and run.
[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]
5 stars ★★★★★
LondonTheatre’s Marianka Swain declared: ‘Paddington is pure theatre magic.’ To prove it, she pointed out many theatrical flourishes including: ‘There’s … thoughtful exploration of what family, home and belonging can mean, and how our capital thrives because it’s a cultural melting pot. That’s irresistibly expressed in “The Rhythm of London”, begun by Brenda Edwards’s Caribbean neighbour Tanya, and opened out to involve high-kicking Buckingham Palace guardsmen and bankers waving sparkly Union Jack brollies. Tom Pye’s wondrous design, a real love letter to London, also features an actual black cab and red telephone box, pastel-coloured Windsor Gardens, and full-size giraffes in the Natural History Museum.’
The Guardian‘s Arifa Akbar decided: ‘This is the new Mary Poppins: a well-known story imaginatively staged, immaculately performed and utterly winning. Tom Fletcher’s songs are marvellous, Jessica Swale’s book earnest, Ellen Kane’s choreography vigorous.’
Olivia Garrett at Radio Times enthused: ‘Honestly, this show is exactly what it promised and more. Cutting right into your soul with its message of kindness, love and acceptance, it’s a musical we need now more than ever.’
‘This is a show with a heart as big and generous as Paddington himself’ raved Sarah Crompton at WhatsOnStage. She described Paddington on stage as ‘utterly real, his little grey eyebrows rising in surprise, his jaw dropping open when he is shocked, his nose wrinkling in search of marmalade.’
The Independent‘s Alice Saville explained: ‘The most immediately delightful thing about this show is that they’ve got Paddington absolutely spot on. Who wouldn’t give a home to this bear? (..) Inside this super-realistic (and no doubt quite warm) suit is 4ft tall actor Arti Shah, who gives him authentically bear-like movements while singer James Hameed lends his incongruously powerful vocals to punchy songs by Tom Fletcher (of McFly fame).’
Tim Bano for The Standard described some of the experience: ‘In just the first twenty minutes we get smoke, fire, explosions, collapsing furniture, rain, and whipped cream. It’s a multimillion pound piece of theatre that feels warm and fun and intimate, with no opportunity missed for a bit of extra silliness or a burst of theatricality.’
The i’s Fiona Mountford noted: ‘It is not only the bear design that is marvellous. Scenic designer Tom Pye makes stunning use of the high ceiling and proscenium arch of the theatre by flooding them with a changing mosaic of images that evoke Paddington’s homeland and the superhero cartoons that Mrs Brown designs. Every detail of this show is exquisite – and I confidently predict that this will be one proudly British export that will go on to conquer the world.’
The Mail’s Patrick Marmion reminded us: ‘let’s not forget, there’s also a musical attached to the costume, with comic, anthemic and shamelessly sappy songs by Tom Fletcher (of yesteryear’s boy band, McFly).’
4 stars ★★★★
The Telegraph‘s Dominic Cavendish almost got carried away: ‘Paddington Bear has been brought to life in a funny, feel-good, family-friendly musical that looks set to run and run (…) see the little visitor from Darkest Peru sing, dance (after a modest fashion) and bumble for Britain! Children will love him and adults will warm to his restorative sweetness’ until he stepped back and remembered he’s a theatre critic: ‘it’s a touch threadbare, and a little over-stuffed with songs, but fittingly, it’s still a very welcome addition to the British musical family.’
Similarly Time Out‘s Andrzej Lukowski liked it but wasn’t completely won over: ‘a fine creative team led by director Luke Sheppard has created a very enjoyable show indeed’ but ‘It’s a luxury musical that feels overstuffed at times.’
The Stage‘s Sam Marlowe stopped trying to be objective: ‘although there is plenty about this show that needs tweaking, rewriting and frankly doing away with altogether, there’s an overwhelming amount in Luke Sheppard’s production that is fundamentally just right. Save yourself some time and succumb – because resistance, trust me, is futile.’ She does list its many shortcomings, only to conclude: ‘whatever the faults of the show, it’s sweeter than a marmalade sandwich, and if the cuddly creation at its heart doesn’t make it a hit, I’ll eat his hat.’
Adam Bloodworth at CityAM wasn’t convinced by the hype: ‘What sticks is that the much-hyped animatronic bear’s mouth is fairly clunky, without the depth of movement to simulate real speech. When live lines are amplified from the side of the stage by designer-performer James Hameed, the mouth opens and closes more like a Sesame Street puppet than anything resembling ‘real’ speech.’ He pointed out: ‘Paddington the Musical at its core is actually a fairly analogue musical experience, a fairly conventional piece of musical theatre that is sustainably quality without relying on particularly viral moments, gimmicks or tricks. Instead Luke Sheppard’s overall show is a wholesome homage. Just nice songs and a decent ensemble held together by some brilliant writing. What more could you want?’
Critics’ average rating 4.7★
Value rating 49 (Value Rating is a combination of the critics’ rating and the typical ticket price)
Paddington The Musical can be seen at the Savoy Theatre until at least February 2027. Buy tickets directly from https://paddingtonthemusical.com
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