Paddington: The Bear That Brought Kindness! 😁🐻🍊

Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. Today I’m going to be talking about a show that I saw on 6th May 2026 with my good friend Sophie, which was of course the iconic Paddington: The Musical, at The Savoy Theatre in London. This was directed by Luke Sheppard, the book by Jessica Swale and music and lyrics by McFly star Tom Fletcher. 

In this blog I will be taking you through:

- What The Show Is About & The Success It’s Had

- What I Thought of Each Actor During The Show

- The Songs That Stood Out For Me 

- My Downsides 

- Rating of the show 

What Is It About?

Based on the book “A Bear Called Paddington” by Michael Bond, and inspired by the first film which was released in 2014, this sees the story of the marmalade loving bear travel from darkest Peru in search of a home. I’ve seen the Paddington films before, very recently catching up on the other two films, so to see this broths icon live was something else. It’s safe to say that this show was the best one I’ve seen in a long time, and after receiving 7 Olivier Awards, I can see why. 

Roles of The Show:

The role of Paddington was portrayed by two people. Arti Shah was the person inside the costume, and the voiced was provided by James Hameed along with controlling the facial gestures. This was a unique way of bringing a little bear to life, and I could tell at the end of the show how much they value their friendship through this adorable character. I could also see why they won the Olivier Award for their category and how much it meant to them, also shouting out to those who are unrepresented in the industry. If Michael Bond himself was still here, he’d definitely be proud to see the two actors bringing his own creation to life on the West End. 

It wouldn’t be Paddington without the appearance of The Brown family, who not only gave him a home, but their dynamic changed as a whole. 

Adrian Der Gregorian took on the role of Risk Analysist Henry Brown. Just like in the film, he showed his authority when it came to his feelings on Paddington, but when it came to numbers like “Risky Business”, he does have a fun side. But just like in the book and the first film, he came to living Paddington, and that meeting him changed the family for the better. Amy Ellen Richardson took on the role Mary Brown, who was one of the very few people to show him kindness immediately, and not having to give it time. What stood out for me with Amy was her solo “one page at a time”, which really showed off just how talented of a singer she is. If she hasn’t got the recognition already, she definitely deserves it through this show. Kiera Webber took on the role of Judy Brown. She was your typical teenager who would get embarrassed by the littlest of things (and let’s face it what teenager wouldn’t?).  It what I liked about her was how she made Judy eventually take a liking to Paddington, and how he has brought her and Mary together. I also loved Kiera’s and Amy’s on stage chemistry, showing the live that Mary and Judy have got each other, particularly when she mentioned that her latest comic book character was inspired by her, and how she also gets scared. And finally, Oliver Goodwin took on the role of the youngest son Jonathan Brown. What I liked was his cheekiness, particularly when correcting things to his family and Mr Curry on his job description. But mind you, if it wasn’t for his knowledge, it wouldn’t have helped the browns find Paddington when he was in danger, and I know that liver will go on to do big things following this show! 

The Browns lodger Mrs Bird was played by the legendary Bonnie Langford. I’ve seen her before at the very same theatre in 9 to 5 back in 2019, and at the age of 61 years old she still has the same presence that just wants to make you smile, still doing cartwheels and the splits. I loved how she incorporated the characters trait of being quirky and reminiscing about her adventures in her youth, but also showed range in emotion when talking about the characters late husband. It just shows that it’s actresses like Bonnie who one minute making you smile till it hurts, and then the next hooks you in with raw emotion. 

Timi Akinyosade and Brenda Edwards took on the role of Tony and his mum Tanya. What I liked about these two was that connection they had on stage, showing me that Tanya does care for Tony and wants him to be happy, and encouraging him to express his feelings for Judy. She also showed me that Tanya is someone to remind people like Henry to yes want their children to be happy, but not let them stop living the life they want. And it was when they were finding Paddington that she brought up this reality to him. If it wasn’t for people like Tanya, Henry wouldn’t have been more open to welcoming Paddington. 

Victoria Hamilton-Barrit took on the  role of the villain Millicent Clyde, the daughter of the late Montgomery Clyde. I’ve seen her before in Hadestown (which you can click a review of here: LINK), and I was looking forward to seeing her again, and wow she definitely delivered. As far as villains go, she had to be one of my favourite villains to watch, as she brought humour, stance and whilst there was a mixture of cheers, there were also some boos during the curtain call, and that’s when you know you’ve nailed the character. So I would say she’s definitely one to watch, and after watching the Oliviers, I can see why she won best supporting actress in a musical!

Tom Edden took on the role of grumpy neighbour Mr Curry. He put a very unique spin on this role, making it more flamboyant when it came to showing his dislike of Paddington. But when teaming up with Millicent, and discovering her real intentions with Paddington, he soon turned sides when realising how much Paddington had an impact on him. My guess was maybe the marmalade sandwich he had did the trick, which was very entertaining. I could see why Tom took the award for best supporting actor at the Olivier Awards, and he definitely brought justice to this grumpy yet entertaining role. 

Tarinn Callender took on the role of Millicent’s right hand man Grant. I did feel bad for this character, as he wanted to be good at what he does. But with some wise words from Paddington, and after his encounter with Mrs Bird in Act 2, it’s safe to say that he definitely had a change of thoughts on his view of life. And wow did he have a strong set of lungs, and I could tell he worked really hard on his singing, as the crowd was already cheering before the song even finished. That’s when you know you’ve done a good job! 

Teddy Kempner took on the role of Mr Gruber, owner of the shop of curiosities. I definitely felt like he was the narrator, despite only showing this role in the beginning and the end of the show. I also loved how he developed this character to being very open minded, and wasn’t afraid and treated Paddington as if he was like any other person (even if he is a different species). But I really enjoyed his take on this iconic character, and if I were to meet someone like Mr Gruber, I would definitely be having him in my circle of friends. 

Amy Booth-Steel took on the role of a train announcer, and mainly Lady Sloane, leader of the Geographers Guild. I wasn’t sure if she was a villain or someone who forgot their manners (resulting in the famous Hard Stare from Paddington himself), but she was very funny. I think it was her delivery and pronunciation on certain words that got me, and she was definitely one character myself, friend and the audience will remember for a very long time! 

There was also Hank the Pigeon played by Ben Redfern. Now I don’t normally like pigeons, but if I were to meet a pigeon called Hank, I’d be okay with meeting him. And plus he was there when Paddington was in grave danger, so I guess without his interference, Paddington would never be saved. 

The ensemble also had a major part to play, as without them, the show wouldn’t exist. By my favourite moment had to be when they were in the audience when coming o rescue Paddington, which is what I think makes this show really stand out from some of the others I’ve seen. And sometimes the littlest moments from the ensemble are the ones the audience will remember the most. One main example is that one of the actors playing a marmalade sandwich and being late for the number, which I know was a joke, but it was one of those moments that you’ll never forget. 

Songs That Stood Out To Me:

The songs in the show were definitely ones which I had an earworm to, which were written by none other than McFly star Tom Fletcher. These included the “opening/I’ve arrived”, as it was the moment we saw Paddington himself for the first time, and me and my friend couldn’t contain our excitement! There was also “The Rhythm of London”, where it definitely got me moving in my seat, telling how inclusive the capital city really is, along with “Pretty Little Dead Things”, as I don’t know why, but the villains songs are always very catchy, with this song being one of them. I was quite surprised during “The Explorer and The Bear” that I didn’t cry during it, but I couldn’t help but get hooked onto it. “Marmalade” had to be my favourite song in Act 2, as not only did it get the audience joining in, but if my acting class did a group number, it would definitely be to this song, as you can’t help but smile along with it. And finally, “It’s Never Too Late” really gave Bonnie and Tarinn the spotlight, as not only did it show their vocals, but it was a nice break from the seriousness when the Browns were looking for Paddington. 

Downsides:

I don’t think I particularly have any downsides to the show at all, but some observations I noticed. I didn’t get as emotional as to the songs like my friend, but because I listened to the soundtrack beforehand, maybe I was mentally preparing myself, which was fair enough. It was also very hot in the theatre, but with a nice cold drink and some ice cream, it managed to get me through. I just praise the actors for doing the show in the warm weather, particularly Arti and the understudy actors, who have the responsibility to perform in the bear costume.

Rating:

Overall I would give the show a full house of 5 out of 5. It was funny, emotional, and some brilliant songs, and as seen below, me and my friend loved every second of it, along with me getting some awesome merchandise. It also showed how in the words of Paddington’s Aunt Lucy, “if we’re kind and polite, the world will be right”, which I think is more important given what’s going on in the world. Maybe that’s why it’s having the success it is, because the of what’s going on in the world. And I know Michael Bond himself will be looking down now, proud of how the cast and crew brought his original story to life on the West End. 

And that is it for the show starring the Marmalade loving Bear from Peru. If you’ve seen the show let me know your thoughts on it, and if you haven’t, let me know when you’re planning to see it. Also click the link below to book your tickets if you’ve yet to see it, but you may want to book it sooner rather than later, as it is a 7 Olivier Award winning show. 

PADDINGTON The Musical | Official West End Show | Book Now!

Please also see two mini vlogs of the day itself, with one being when I went to watch the show, and the other the day after to see what I did before I went home.

Day 1: https://youtube.com/shorts/UHpJmlU76oI?si=H-C8x13JebrN1GDV

Day 2: https://youtube.com/shorts/pXSjPXG0NsI?si=pdQCgK5fLSN0GK4Z

See you soon for another blog. Until next time…

This is The Autistic Actress signing off :)