'We'll do Paddington proud' - Tom Fletcher reveals details of musical
McFly star Tom Fletcher has said he felt "overwhelming excitement" working on the new Paddington stage musical, which producers have confirmed will open in November.
The singer-songwriter said he hoped the music and lyrics he has written for the show would "do Paddington proud", adding that the musical numbers are "my favourite songs I've ever written".
The show will open at the Savoy Theatre in the West End on 1 November, and follow Paddington as he arrives from Peru seeking a new home in London.
The musical, which has been in development for five years, is based on Michael Bond's original novels and follows the hugely successful recent film series.
Speaking about the show for the first time, Fletcher told BBC News he felt "so honoured and lucky" to be working on the project, which he said would reflect "all of the fun, warmth and heart that the books and movies have captured so brilliantly".
"There is something so magical about seeing Paddington step out on to the stage, and seeing him... I was about to say in the flesh, but I guess in the fur is more accurate," he joked.
Fletcher is best-known as the founding member of pop band McFly, whose hits include All About You, Obviously and Star Girl, and is also a successful children's author.
He was first approached about Paddington around the time of the first Covid lockdown in early 2020, and workshopped the project with scriptwriter Jessica Swale, director Luke Sheppard and the producers before the show was formally announced in 2023.
With the musical now almost ready to launch, Swale told BBC News it would feature "lots of juicy new material".
"We're bringing a lot of new flavours to the table, but of course we're all in love with the original material, so we've been faithful to our cast of characters," she said.
"Of course the Browns are part of it, and familiar faces like Mr Gruber and Mr Curry, but there are a lot of new people as well. We've been very inspired by the books and the films but we like to think we're covering new territory."
Bond's first book in the series, A Bear Called Paddington, was published in 1958.
The author went on to write 29 Paddington books in total, the final one being Paddington at St Paul's, which was published posthumously in 2018. The stories have sold more than 35 million copies worldwide.
Fletcher said he relished the opportunity to find what "the musical language" of Paddington was. "Having something that everybody knows but no-one's heard what it sounds like yet is a really exciting thing to be able to work on," he explained.
He recalled that, when producer Eliza Lumley first called him about the project, he not only immediately replied with "a very fast 'yes please'", but began writing music for the show right away.
"While I was still on the phone to her, I had the idea for a song, so I went and wrote my first song for it that night, instantly after getting off the phone, and that song is still in the musical now."
He reflected: "My instant reaction wasn't to be intimidated, it was to be excited and just so inspired by these stories and films that I already knew, I just jumped straight at my piano and started writing."
The three film adaptations of Paddington, featuring the voice of Ben Whishaw, have been a huge success at the box office since the first was released in 2014.
In recent years, London has seen pop group Abba represented by virtual avatars on stage, while some animated film characters have been depicted using more traditional puppeteering methods, such as snowman Olaf in the stage adaptation of Frozen.
It has not yet been revealed what approach producers will take to representing Paddington in the theatre.
"I don't know what you're talking about, he's a bear!" joked Swale. "He's travelling from Peru to be a special part of our show!"
She continued: "I can't give away our secrets. One of the things I'm most excited about for this show is the character of Paddington."
Swale credits producers Lumley and Sonia Friedman for "really experimenting with every possible way that we could tell the bear's story in the best way, and the magic that they've found in how they do it', adding: 'Every single time I see Paddington for the first time, it makes me cry.
"I think he's completely magic, and to me he's very real. But I don't think audiences will be disappointed. It's a wonderful, theatrical version of how to tell this story."
As for the character himself, Swale noted the musical "also reveals the spirit and the politics of Paddington".
"For example, Paddington is a refugee, so we want to honour the fact that he is somebody who migrates to the UK and doesn't have a home, and make sure we are conscious of the experience of who he represents."
Between now and the show's opening in November, Fletcher said the team would be "fine-tuning for as long as we can, and making sure that we get it absolutely right".
He added: "I really hope that I've done everyone who loves Paddington justice... This is so different to anything I've ever done before. I feel like this show is so ready to be out in the world, it's the most special thing I've ever been a part of in my whole life."
The 39-year-old will be on tour with McFly and Busted when the musical opens in November, "so I'll be going from touring with the band and then rushing back to London to fit it all in", he explained.
"It's a slightly hectic schedule, but we'll make it work somehow. I might get confused and start singing Paddington songs on stage with McFly."
Most important, of course, is the question of whether or not Paddington's favourite food will feature in the stage adaptation.
"You can rest easy," laughed Swale. "Marmalade features not only in the book and the lyrics, but physically on stage in a spectacular way."
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