Paddington The Musical previews opened at the Savoy Theatre London

Previews of Paddington The Musical opened at the Savoy Theatre in London on November 1, with the production scheduled to officially open on November 30 and now booking through October 25, 2026. The stage adaptation of Michael Bond's A Bear Called Paddington brings the long-running children's character to the West End with a new score by Tom Fletcher, a book by Jessica Swale, and direction by Luke Sheppard.

Producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley said the creative team and performers have spent years developing a way to present Paddington on stage. "After many years of exploration and development, we are thrilled, alongside StudioCanal, to finally bring Paddington to life on stage," they said in a joint statement. The production combines new songs, choreography and the bear's trademark marmalade sandwiches, and draws on both Bond's 1958 book and the 2014 film adaptation.

The production's central technical innovation is the bear itself. Paddington is realised through a hybrid performance model in which Arti Shah performs onstage inside the bear suit while James Hameed operates facial expressions remotely and supplies the voice. Alternate onstage performers Abbie Purvis and Ali...