'Paddington The Musical' to debut in West End
A musical about Paddington Bear, featuring music from McFly singer Tom Fletcher, is to debut in autumn on the West End.Paddington The Musical will launch at London's Savoy Theatre on November 1 and has been adapted from the books by Michael Bond and award-winning films, which feature Ben Whishaw as the voice of the bear.The production follows the small bear from Peru as he lands in London where a chance encounter with the Brown family leads to him finding a new home.
Fletcher, 39, said: "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 (playwright) Jessica (Swale), (theatre director) Luke (Sheppard), and our producers Sonia (Friedman) and Eliza (Lumley)."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."Swale, 43, added: "It's such a privilege to be telling the story of such a beloved cultural icon."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 tale."Fletcher is a best-selling author of children's books, as well as a member of boy band McFly.Paddington, first published on October 13 1958, has seen a number of adaptations over the years, including a BBC TV version in 1976, voiced by the late Sir Michael Hordern.
The recent movies, released in 2014, 2017 and 2024, have all performed well at the box office.Earlier in the month a Paddington Bear statue which had been destroyed by vandals was repaired and returned to its home town in Newbury, Berkshire.Priority tickets for Paddington The Musical will be available from May 13, before going on general sale on May 15.The performance schedule and casting is to be announced at a later date.
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