I'm in London's superb new Paddington musical - 1 moment in show leaves everyone in tears

From humble beginnings in deepest Peru to having tea with the Queen at her Platinum Jubilee, a certain bear holds a special place in our nation's hearts. He may hide marmalade sandwiches under his hat but he's also been keeping a blockbuster show up his sleeve…

Based on the beloved books by Michael Bond and the 2014 film, with music and lyrics by McFly popstar Tom Fletcher, Paddington the Musical is set to bring the bear’s origin story to the stage in spectacular fashion when it opens at London's Savoy Theatre tonight.

The show follows the lovable chap's bewildered arrival and his antics with the Brown family, adorable antiques dealer Mr Gruber and grumpy neighbour Mr Curry, plus the villainous taxidermist Millicent Clyde. But scriptwriter Jessica Swale also promises "lots of juicy new material and people".

Bonnie Langford plays the Brown's housekeeper Mrs Bird and tells me she loves hiding in the wings every night to watch the moment when Paddington first appears, with Arti Shah breathing life into Paddington inside the costume with the iconic red hat and blue duffel coat, while James Hameed provides his voice and remote-controlled facial expressions.

“It’s like a rock star, people just scream," Bonnie grins. "They put one hand up to their face, then start to tear up, often the adults even more than the kids. It's beautiful."

For over 20 years, Tom's been used to all that touring the world with his band but he tells me he's loving being on the other side this time. "On my goodness, now I’m the screaming fan," he laughs. "I cry harder than anyone when he steps onto stage. Being sat in the audience and seeing everyone else laughing and crying, I feel so lucky."

Theatre can often seem stuffy, but everyone involved is unabashedly proud of the emotional impact the show has been having in previews.

"I only know how to make theatre with my heart, shows that will move people," director Luke Shepperd tells me. "I always think about when my family would bring me and my brother to see one show a year and it was a really big deal, a family event. It really mattered to us."

Bonnie also believes there's something unique about this particular show and its furry leading man.

"There's something terribly magical about him and really disarming. Your cynicism and all your angst drop away at something so honest and pure, at the wide-eyed innocence and wonder. It gives you permission to laugh, cry and cheer.”

This could all be rather cloying and twee, but Bond’s creation always rises above that.

“It's very telling and also very funny,” Bonnie says. “Paddington disarms everyone by showing us the way we hold on to things as adults is pretty silly. The lovely part is, none of it is shaming or blaming. He's not judging people.”

Yet everyone involved is deeply aware they will be facing judgement from audiences and fans of the books – especially if they get anything wrong. "It was a huge opportunity but one that came with great responsibility,” admits the show’s director Luke Shepperd. “Paddington’s treasured by so many, the films are brilliant, the books are extraordinary. The label around his neck saying, ‘Please look after this bear’, is one we’ve held on to as a mantra."

He reveals the show already has approval from the highest level.

"Michael Bond’s daughter Karen has been to our workshops and previews, and her guidance has been invaluable. She’s been a champion of the project while also really trusting us to tell our version. It’s been thrilling watching her fall in love with this new version of Paddington. There’s been nothing but kindness and support from her."

Five years in the making, James, Tom and Jessica were involved from the start, culminating in a six-week workshop last Christmas.

"We started with a blank page and got a lot of things wrong along the way," laughs James. "Let me just say, there are some pigeons and it took us a really long time to figure them out!

"We looked at multiple ways of doing Paddington himself. We explored puppetry and then Tahra Zafar, who designed the bear, came in early on. We were inspired by having Paddington on stage without anybody around him operating him. He lives and he breathes in that space. The story is about him being alone, searching for a home, so showing that was our driving force."

James has directed Olivier Award-winning musicals like In The Heights and spectacular crowd-pleasers Starlight Express but admits the scale of Paddington is on another level.

"40 people on rollerskates was really good preparation," he laughs.

"I have to pinch myself. It's by far the biggest thing I’ve been involved in, the biggest show The Savoy has ever seen. Not just visually, with costumes, sets and three huge screens, we’ve also got the biggest orchestra we could fit in. Hundreds of people are involved. We want it to feel like an exciting, vibrant thing that blows your mind."

Luke's also passionate about bringing in new audiences to the theatre. His show & Juliet rewrote Shakespeare and Ann Hathaway's marriage to a 1990s pop jukebox soundtrack, while Just For One Day celebrates Live Aid. Both were huge hits with a pop and rock crowd who might not usually go to a musical.

"Theatre can often be seen as highbrow and pop music as more accessible," he says. "I’m interested in blurring those lines."

Even so, it still feels brave to bring in a pop star to compose a huge, traditional family show. What not everyone knows, however, is that while Tom may have written ten UK number one hits, he trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School and his sister Carrie is a major West End star.

"Tom has musical theatre in his heart," says James. "He was born to work in this art form. We were actually in Oliver! together at the Palladium as kids."

Back in 1995, aged 10, Tom had the lead role in Oliver! and he tells me Paddington feels like coming home. "I spent my entire childhood obsessed with musical theatre and I always thought my life would have something to do with that. And then McFly happened and took over my life in all the best ways,” he says. "So to return to the thing that I love feels really special. And to be on a project like this is beyond anything I could have dreamed. It means the world to me."

He has composed over 18 original songs and admits it's been the greatest challenge of his life but also "pure joy" flexing his musical muscles.

"The essence of Paddington is in the stories, there is always so much heart and amazing characters," he says. "Every time I was trying to find lyrics I would open the books and the answer was always there on the page.

"What’s so amazing about the show is that it’s about so many different people, it’s so diverse. Each of those characters allowed us to explore different musical styles. So if you’re writing for Mr Gruber, it’s completely different musical language than Mr Curry or for Paddington."

That core theme from the books of London as a welcoming melting pot for so many different lives, cultures and stories is deeply important to James.

"This show is about celebrating difference," he says, "but also about bringing people together in one building who might have different outlooks. I think about bringing kindness and joy. I make theatre that is inclusive and at its beating heart offers a vision of a world that I want to live in."

For me, that world always includes Bonnie doing the splits, I tease her.

“There's something wildly amusing about the splits,” she grins, “I seem to do it in everything now. One Christmas, when mum and dad were still alive, I looked around and we all find it very comfortable to sit with one leg straight up in the air. It's normal for us but I remember thinking, ‘This is weird, actually.”

With so many friends and family who have worked their whole lives on stage, how does she feel about celebrity 'stunt casting'?

"It's a very competitive, difficult world," says Bonnie, "but as long as they can do the job... We need people who can sell tickets. It's no good being in the best kept secret in town.

"In a way, Paddington's our trump card. He brings people in, but it's not just him there. We give them a sensational show with so much more on top of that. It's pure magic."

Paddington The Musical is currently booking at The Savoy Theatre until October 2026; visit paddingtonthemusical.com