When a lost, small bear from Peru arrives in London in search of a new home, a chance encounter with the Brown family leads him to the wonderful world of Windsor Gardens.
But London isn’t all cream teas and friendly faces – and even the happiest families have their cracks beneath the surface. So when Paddington’s life is suddenly in peril, the Browns must decide just how far they’re willing to go — and what they’re willing to risk — to give this special bear a home.
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.
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.
| 2025 | West End |
West End |
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