Paddington Bear to be transformed into West End musical with lyrics from McFly
A Paddington musical is in the works, with McFly's Tom Fletcher penning the songs.
The stage show will be adapted from Michael Bond's classic children's books and the award-winning films featuring Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington. The musical, which will have a book by Jessica Swale and will be directed by Luke Sheppard, is currently in development and workshops.
It's set to premiere in the UK in 2025, with more details to be announced later. Producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley said: "It is a privilege to be creating a new musical about this gorgeous and beloved little bear with such a wonderful team."
McFly's Tom Fletcher is writing the songs for Paddington (Getty Images for Pizza Express)They added: "The magic of Paddington is that, through his wide-eyed innocence, he sees the very best in humanity, reminding us that love and kindness can triumph if we open our hearts and minds to one another.
"We cannot wait to bring Paddington, his antics, adventures and mishaps with the Brown family, and Michael Bond's other treasured characters to the stage. We hope to inspire audiences of all ages with fun, beauty, joy and all that Paddington stands for."
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Anna Marsh, the boss of StudioCanal which produces the Paddington films, expressed her delight: "We could not be more delighted to see our beloved Paddington take to the stage shepherded by a talented and visionary team in Sonia and Eliza.
"They have opened their hearts to show a deep understanding and passion for Paddington that will no doubt transpire on stage and ensure that his adventures, created by Michael Bond over 60 years ago, continue to charm audiences in such a new and innovative way."
Paddington, first introduced to us on October 13 1958, has been adapted many times, including a BBC TV version in 1976, with Michael Hordern lending his voice. The recent films, out in 2014 and 2017, were big hits at the box office and it was recently revealed that a third, named Paddington in Peru, will hit cinemas on November 8 2024.
Fletcher, who's going to write the music and lyrics, is a best-selling author of children's books, as well as being part of the boy band McFly. He's also written and composed live shows The Christmasaurus and There's A Monster In Your Show.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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