\’Tom Fletcher Unveils Details for \”Paddington\” Musical, Promising to Make London Proud\’

Tom Fletcher from McFly mentioned feeling an immense sense of excitement as he worked on the upcoming Paddington stage production, which producers have verified will premiere in November.

The artist mentioned that he wished the music and lyrics created for the production would \”bring honor to Paddington,\” and he also noted that the musical pieces are \”the best songs I have ever composed.\”

The production will debut at the Savoy Theatre in the West End starting from November 1st, and will recount the story ofPaddington as he comesfrom Peru in search ofa newhomeinLondon.

The musical, having undergone development over half a decade, draws inspiration from Michael Bond’s classic book series and parallels the widely popular movie adaptations released recently.

When discussing the show for the first time, Fletcher shared with Velvet Voque News his feelings of being \”deeply honored and fortunate\” to be part of this project. He mentioned that it aims to capture all the joy, coziness, and emotion that the books and films have beautifully portrayed.

\”There’s something incredibly enchanting about watching Paddington emerge onto the stage and seeing him… I was going to say in person, but perhaps ‘in fur’ would be more precise,” he quipped.

Fletcher is most recognized for being the original member of the pop group McFly, known for hit singles such as All About You, Obviously, and Star Girl. Additionally, he has achieved success as an author of children\’s literature.

He initially became involved with Paddington during the beginning of the first COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020. He then worked on developing the project alongside scriptwriter Jessica Swale, director Luke Sheppard, and the producers prior to production starting on the show.
was officially announced in 2023.

As the musical is nearly set for debut, Swale informed Velvet Voice News that it will include \”a plethora of exciting fresh content.\”

\”We’re introducing many new flavors, but naturally, we all have a soft spot for the original content. Therefore, we’ve remained true to our ensemble of characters,” she stated.

Naturally, the Browns are included, along with recognizable figures such as Mr. Gruber and Mr. Curry, yet there’s also an influx of fresh characters. While we’ve drawn considerable inspiration from both the books and movies, our aim has always been to explore uncharted ground.

The inaugural book in Bond\’s series, \”A Bear Named Paddington,\” was released in 1958.

In total, the author penned 29Paddington books, with the last one titled \”Paddington at St Paul\’s,\” released posthumously in 2018. These tales have achieved sales of over 35 million copies globally.

Fletcher mentioned that he embraced the chance to discover what \”the musical language\” of Paddington would be. He stated, \”Working on something everyone recognizes but hasn’t heard musically yet is truly an exhilarating prospect.\”

When producer Eliza Lumley initially contacted him regarding the project, he instantly responded with an enthusiastic \”absolutely yes,\” and promptly started composing music for the series.

\”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 pondered, “My immediate response wasn’t one of intimidation; instead, it was pure excitement and inspiration from the tales and movies I was familiar with. Without hesitation, I headed directly for my piano and began composing.”

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.

Recently, London witnessed pop band ABBA being portrayed through digital avatars during performances, whereas certain animated movie figures like snowman Olaf from \”Frozen\” have been brought to life via conventional puppetry techniques in theatrical productions.

It has not yet been revealed what approach producers will take to representing Paddington in the theatre.

“I have no idea what you’re referring to; he’s a bear!” chuckled Swale. “He’s journeying all the way from Peru to be a special addition to our performance!”

She went on: \”I can\’t reveal our secrets. What excites me the most about this show is the character of Paddington.\”

\’The politics 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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