It only takes about three minutes for Paddington to appear onstage, and that same instant to realise how good this show is going to be. For those wearied by the relentless stream of stage musicals based on popular films or books, Paddington is here to scrape the cynicism from their hearts, and to prove how it can be done properly.
After the success of the films cemented Paddington’s status as most beloved bear of all time, mediocrity would have been enough to sell the Savoy Theatre out for a couple of years, but what’s so clear here is the integrity and ingenuity that the creative team has brought instead. Luke Sheppard - the director behind Starlight Express, &Juliet and other hits - creates a show that’s constantly full of motion, so tight and seamless despite all the many moving parts. 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.
