Paddington: The Musical, the upcoming theatre production from McFly's Tom Fletcher, will premiere later this year in London.
The show, previously announced in December 2023, will see Michael Bond's beloved bear take to the stage for a musical adventure as the iconic character is seen like "never before", with the world premiere now confirmed for 1 November at London's Savoy Theatre.
Written by Jessica Swale and directed by Luke Sheppard, priority booking for the world premiere opens on 13 May, with the general public able to get their tickets two days later on 15 May. Fletcher, who has also appeared on The Voice UK, is writing the music and lyrics for the show.
"It’s an honour to be entrusted to bring the story of Paddington to life on stage with the very best of creative collaborators in Jessica, Luke, and our producers Sonia [Friedman] and Eliza [Lumley]," said Fletcher in a statement.
"This unique and special bear is at the very heart of our nation, and I’m aware of the awesome responsibility we all have in taking on his story. It’s beyond exciting, and an absolute dream come true – we look forward to welcoming you to join us at the Savoy this Autumn."
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"It's such a privilege to be telling the story of this beloved cultural icon," added Swale. "Paddington is so much more than a fictional character; this special bear has come to represent hope, kindness and acceptance, so it's never felt like a more apt time to bring this story to the stage.
"And with such a dream team! Tom's songs are extraordinary, earworms on a first listen, Luke is the most masterful director, and our producers are so incredibly passionate and dedicated, it really is a great honour to be on this adventure with them all. I can't wait to share this beautiful, funny and heartwarming story."
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Sheppard shared his own statement following the announcement, saying that the show would contain an "incredible new score" and "heart-wrenching script" as Paddington "brought to life" like "never before".
Casting details and performance times for Paddington: The Musical are set to be announced over the coming days, complete with a list of the full creative team. In the meantime, a trailer and poster for the project has been unveiled, which you can view above.
Paddington: The Musical premieres at the Savoy Theatre in London on 1 November.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
