Fans of the beloved bear from Peru can now see what the character looks like as the new West End production, Paddington The Musical opens at the Savoy Theatre - with bookings already extended to October 2026.
The final, and most important, cast member has been announced for the West End production of Paddington The Musical, as the show begins preview performances and extends its booking until 25th October 2026.
Meet the team behind Paddington
Paddington is played by James Hameed and Arti Shah, but there is a whole team bringing the famous bear to life: Tahra Zafar (Paddington Bear Designer), Audrey Brisson (Bear Physicality Associate Director), Phill Woodfine (Remote Puppetry Coach) and Annabelle Davis (Paddington Bear Casting Director).
They will join a cast that includes Adrian Der Gregorian (Mr Brown), Brenda Edwards (Tanya), Teddy Kempner (Mr Gruber) and Bonnie Langford (Mrs Bird) in the first ever stage production of Paddington which began preview performances on Saturday 1st November.
Producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley said: “After many years of exploration and development, we are thrilled, alongside STUDIOCANAL, to finally bring Paddington to life on stage. It takes an extraordinary team to share this very special bear with the world — our amazing performers James and Arti, our brilliant alternates Abbie and Ali, and the incredible group of artists led by designer Tahra, alongside Audrey, Phill, and Annabelle.
“Their collective creativity and vision are at the heart of our production, and it has been a true collaboration, helmed by Luke Sheppard, our Creative, Associate, Stage Management, Production and Development teams involved in supporting us in bringing Paddington to life in a truly beautiful and unique way.
“What we as producers always hoped to achieve was, quite simply, Paddington on stage — and thanks to the immensely talented artists, both on and off stage, we believe we’ve realised that.”
Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley.
About the show and the story
Adapted from the much-loved books written by Michael Bond, and STUDIOCANAL films, the show has music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher of pop group, McFly, book by Jessica Swale and is directed by Luke Sheppard.
When a small, lost bear from Peru arrives in London in search of a new home, a chance encounter with the Brown family leads him to the wonderful world of Windsor Gardens.
But London isn’t all afternoon teas and friendly faces – and even the happiest families have their cracks beneath the surface. So when a mysterious and vengeful villain sets her sights on Paddington, the Browns embark on a thrilling rescue mission, realising they need this special bear as much as he needs them.
Group booking information and dates
For London group theatre visits, bookings for ten or more people can get accelerator rates for Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evening performances and Thursday matinees from 4th May to 22nd October 2026 when booking by 13th February.
Standard group rates are available for groups of ten or more booking for Monday to Thursday evenings and Thursday matinees from 7th January 2026.
For more information about Paddington The Musical, visit paddingtonthemusical.com.
