Paddington The Musical has found a home. The show will pirouette into London’s Savoy Theatre for its world premiere November 1, producers announced Thursday.
Creatives led by director Luke Sheppard have held several workshops and word on the street is that the show’s great.
Tom Fletcher of boy band McFly fame and now a bestselling children’s author has written Paddington’s music and lyrics, while filmmaker, screenwriter and playwright Jessica Swale (Summerland, Horrible Histories Movie) has penned the book.
Choreographer Ellen Kane’s name has not been included in the Savoy Theatre announcement but Deadline can reveal that she has come up with some stunning, show-stopping choreography. Paddington will be dancing on all paws. And there’s chatter about a chorus line of dancing bears chomping away on marmalade sandwiches. And why not? We shall see if that comes to pass.
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Kane used to assist award-winning choreographer Peter Darling on Billy Elliot The Musical but has since developed her own style for musical Groundhog Day; the Netflix film Matilda; the Donmar’s production of Natasha; Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812; the National Theatre’s Ballet Shoes; and movement direction for the football players in James Graham’s hit play Dear England, also at the National.
Meanwhile, Sheppard’s been busy preparing West End show My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?), written by and starring starring Rob Madge, for a run at New York City Center beginning June 13. It joins Sheppard’s Broadway production of musical & Juliet which has been running at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre since November 2022.
Sheppard’s also been enjoying sold-out success with a souped-up adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. His electrifying production of the Live Aid musical Just For One Day, a transfer from the Old Vic Theatre, arrives at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre from May 15.
There’s likely to be a stampede for Paddington The Musical tickets when they go on sale at the Savoy Theatre, with priority booking May 13 followed by public booking two days later.
Michael Bond published his first Paddington tale in 1958; since then, 35 million books about the ever so polite Andean bear have been sold worldwide. It should be noted that bears do not stampede, whereas homo sapiens eager for hot tickets do.
There have been many film and television shows about Paddington. However, Paddington, Paddington 2 and Paddington in Peru — the three films produced by StudioCanal, David Heyman and Rosie Allison — have turned the marmalade-loving creature into a bona fide star.
His greatest moment, perhaps, was when he had tea at Buckingham Palace with Queen Elizabeth II as part of her late majesty’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations in 2022. The irresistible clip has had millions of views of social media.
Paddington The Musical is produced by Sonia Friedman for Sonia Friedman Productions; Anna Marsh, CEO of Studio Canal, Deputy CEO Studio Canal+ and chief content officer of Studio Canal+ for StudioCanal; and Eliza Lumley Productions on behalf of Universal Music UK.
Other creatives and cast will be revealed at a later date.
No word yet on who’s playing Paddington.
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