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Paddington is brought to life with state-of-the-art animatronics: James Hameed is his voice and remote puppeteer, while Arti Shah is under his furry skin on stage (puppet design by Tahra Zafar). The Brown family are recognisable from the star-studded film: risk-averse dad (Adrian Der Gregorian), arty mum (Amy Ellen Richardson), adolescent Judy (Delilah Bennett-Cardy) and encyclopaedia-chomping wee Jonathan (Jasper Rowse on the night of attendance), along with houseguest Mrs Bird (Bonnie Langford, in national treasure mode) … This is the new Mary Poppins: a well-known story imaginatively staged, immaculately performed and utterly winning.
The plot and general mood here are both loosely based on the first Paddington film, with director Luke Sheppard and set designer Tom Pye creating a warm, multicultural, and gorgeously maximalist evocation of bohemian London. The famous bear crash-lands in an inhospitable city, then finds a home with the kindly Brown family. In the glorious set-piece song Don’t Touch That, his butter-pawed curiosity nearly destroys the fabric of their home: shelves tilt, white goods explode, and soap bubbles and jets of water burst through the ceiling.
Alice Saville, the Independent
The moment when the newcomer from darkest Peru tries on his trademark duffle coat for the first time drew a chorus of “Ahs” around the auditorium. The adults aren’t to be upstaged in an effervescent, if slightly overlong production directed by Luke Sheppard. Jessica Swale’s script is based on the original Paddington books and the first of the film spin-offs. Here, it’s the busybody neighbour Mr Curry who gets some of the best lines, Tom Edden having no end of fun as a killjoy with a combover who eventually sees the error of his ways.
Ah, Paddington Bear. Are the poppy songs in this new musical, by Tom Fletcher of McFly, especially memorable? They are not. Is the plot, by Jessica Swale, full of holes and needless diversions? It is. But will your eyes be moist the minute that the little furball from Darkest Peru sets paw in Paddington station – and will they be full to overflowing by the time he climbs into a black taxi with the Brown family and sets off on his journey towards home, family and belonging? Unless there’s something seriously wrong with you – and, probably, almost in spite of yourself – yes, they will.
Not only does he blink bashfully, his little puzzled muzzle wrinkles with extreme pathos – and off-the-Richter-scale cuteness. When he turns to wiggle his tiny behind, he gets the kind of reception normally reserved for a 40-point Samba on Strictly. So the bear necessities – designed by Tahra Zafar – are genius. But Paddington is a team effort. His voice is delivered from the wings by James Hameed, while the costume itself is inhabited by Arti Shah. She has the little fella’s adorable wiggle off pat.
There’s a glorious, hallucinogenic knees-up in praise of marmalade (involving Tom Edden’s joyously slimy neighbour Mr Curry), tub-thumping carry-on courtesy of the Geographers’ Guild and a show-stopper in which Bonnie Langford’s wise old Mrs Bird turns theatrical trouper, does the splits and brings the house down; so silly, yet so life-affirming. Is this a new classic on a par with Mary Poppins or Matilda? No, it’s a touch threadbare and a little overstuffed with songs, but it’s still a very welcome addition to the British musical family.
Dominic Cavendish, the Telegraph
It is not only the bear design that is marvellous. Scenic designer Tom Pye makes stunning use of the high ceiling and proscenium arch by flooding them with a mosaic of images that evoke Paddington’s homeland and the superhero cartoons that Mrs Brown draws. Every detail of this show is exquisite – and I predict that this will be one proudly British export that will go on to conquer the world.
This is a show about welcoming foreigners, about asserting the values of kindness and tolerance that used to be Britain’s hallmarks. Swale’s script and Fletcher’s lyrics make that point over and over again. It’s uplifting to find such a strong message in such a popular entertainment. Yet the comedy of the show never lets up.
