Paddington The Musical is magical, joyful and great fun; a brilliant piece of theatre.
We recently saw Paddington in London only because we booked one week after it opened. Today, ATG, the official UK ticket site, is offering tickets for the London show at the Savoy theatre for no earlier than May 2027 and at prices higher than the £90 we snagged. Presumably, grandparents are putting their names on a ticket waitlist now when their grandchild is born – like people do for Adelaide Oval membership. It also gives them time to start saving for the experience.
‘Paddington The Musical‘
Music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, book by Jessica Swale
Opens in Sydney at The Capitol Theatre
10- week season, September 1 – November 1 2027
Waitlist for tickets here
When Paddington first walked on stage, it brought the house down. It took only a minute to believe he was real and to be immersed in the fantasy.
The whole production – lighting, sound, video, costumes, set and talent – is extraordinary. Paddington himself is, of course, the star. Well, actually, two people are the stars of this adorable, thoroughly believable bear. He is operated from the inside by a short-statured actor who does all his physical movements and by an actor offstage who remotely operates all his head expressions (eyes, eyebrows, cheeks, smiles, ears etc) via remote animatronics. This actor is also his speaking and singing voice and makes an occasional appearance on stage.
The whole show and its songs are a celebration of ‘Britishness’ and the music fits the larger-than-life characters like a glove giving everyone a show-stopper number. Maybe the only tune you will hum on the way home is Marmalade and be prepared for it to hang around for quite a while. It will test your resistance to the much-feared earworm or Stuck Song Syndrome. You’ve been warned.
The Award score
2026 would have been a tough year in theatre for any other musical. Paddington was nominated for 11 Laurence Olivier Awards in the musical category, winning seven including, Best New Musical, Actor (both actors), Supporting Actor, Actress, Director, Set Design (two winners for set and video) and Costumes (two winners, for costumes and the bear suit).
WhatsOnStage UK awards. Fifteen nominations and nine awards.
The Tony’s will surely come after its opening on Broadway in April 2027.
Follow Dan Becker in his deep dive into the technology behind Paddington.
Disney Dan has a degree in theatre and a professional background as an actor and puppeteer and takes you through how he thinks they brought this little bear to life.
– Vicki Arnold