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IIt is the greatest privilege to be asked to do this. But at the same time, woe to the person who gets it wrong…”
jessica swale Saying this she laughs nervously. Tom Fletcher Smiling – or grimacing? Both creators boast excellent credentials: Swail is an Olivier Award-winning playwright, filmmaker and director; Fletcher, frontman of Noughties pop-rock band McFly, a coach sound And best-selling children’s author. Still, the pair look quite intimidated when considering the pressure of completing their latest project: paddington the musicalReaching the West End next month.
Of course, this is a tall order. With his distinctive red hat, royal blue duffle coat and passion for all things marmalade, the beloved bear is much more than the sum of his adorable parts – he’s officially achieved national treasure status, the equivalent of a British icon. david attenborough And Big Ben. Over the past decade, Cub has transcended its roots as the humble creation of a children’s author. michael bond thanks to three nominated filmsWhich has introduced the Peruvian expat’s unique brand of anarchic charm and unfailing kindness to a whole new audience. connection with the departed Queen Elizabeth II, both during their jubilees celebration and then upon his deathPushed Paddington further into the stratosphere.
“He represents so many more things than any other fictional character I can think of,” says Swale, who wrote the script for the new musical. “We both thought it was the most exciting thing – and also a huge responsibility.”
Five years after Fletcher received the call asking if he would be interested in writing the production’s music and lyrics, he still seems stunned. “I had no idea I was even being considered for something like this,” he says. “I immediately said, ‘Yes, of course’. While I was on the phone, I even started writing a song in my head!”
A song which now opens Act Two. So far, only one of the 18 original tracks has been released. With waves of emotion and distinctive key changes, “The Explorer and the Bear” feels like a classic musical theater piece, says Fletcher, but the soundtrack is more eclectic than you might think, reflecting the diversity of London. For example, the tune and lyrics of Mr. Gruber, a Hungarian immigrant, are influenced by the character’s specific cultural heritage.
Although it was perhaps inevitable that one of the UK’s most famous exports would get the musical treatment – following in the footsteps of other family favorites as matilda – Swail and Fletcher’s special partnership seems far from preordained. After all, neither of them have made any music before.
Of course, they’re not exactly new. Known for her big-hearted, large-cast shows with lots of comedy, Swail has written plays with musicals for years, such as her Olivier Award-winning dear whiteAnd this may be Fletcher’s first composition for a full-on musical, but it’s certainly not his first rodeo. Among his 30 chart-topping children’s books, chrismasaurus, crackers And space band All have been published alongside Fletcher’s companion soundtrack albums, while his popular picture book series Who’s in your book? And the dinosaur that pooped (The latter co-produced with bandmate dougie poynter) have been adapted into touring stage productions featuring his music.
And it’s kind of genius to hire people who aren’t burdened by preconceived notions of what music should be. “It means we’re able to be a little more anarchic and Paddington-ish about it – coming up with a suitcase full of ideas and our own different experiences, and then smashing them together in a way that maybe you wouldn’t have done if you’d written a lot of music before,” Swail says. Fletcher agrees, “Being a little naive about the process means you follow your instincts more.”
The bearer of pop songs can be traced back to his love of performance, strongly linked to his theatrical roots. “For a lot of people, it’ll probably seem a bit of an odd choice that the guy from McFly is being trusted with this musical,” he admits, “but musical theater has been my whole life.” From the age of nine, he attended theater school and imagined “never, ever” joining a band. “I always thought I’d be in music, or do something with musical theater. It feels like I’m coming back home in a weird way.”
Swell and Fletcher joined forces with powerhouse theater director Luke Sheppard, whose credits include the revival Starlight Express, in the heights And and julietAnd together the three were given a surprising amount of creative freedom. “There was a tremendous amount of trust between the three of us,” says Fletcher, “and it was wonderful to be left alone to tell the story we wanted to tell.” It was not just the show’s creators Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley who gave them free rein, but also StudioCanal, which produced the films, and the estate of Michael Bond – truly a miraculous thing, whose legacy, like Paddington’s, was preserved.
I always thought I would do something with musical theater. feels like coming back home
Tom Fletcher, music and lyrics
The result is that, although the musical is inspired by the 2014 film, what audiences will see on stage is something entirely new. It probably follows the story of the first Paddington film – a Peruvian cub comes to London, finds shelter with the Brown family and gets involved in all sorts of casual mayhem before an encounter with a vengeful villain – but it has a lot of fresh material.
Some characters are entirely new, including Grant (Taryn Callender) and Lady Sloane (Amy Booth-Steele), while others have been significantly refreshed from relatively minor roles in the film, such as Mr. Curry (Tom Eden). And even those with whom we are intimately acquainted may not be completely familiar; The Henry Brown of Music Is Not Quite the Same Hugh BonnevilleRepetition of. “That’s one of the fun challenges,” Swale says. “Those characters are so well-known – you have to be a little adventurous to give them room to be a little new.”
Believing that independence was necessary, Swail expounded. After all, we are not necessary need Another Paddington: “There are some of the best movies ever made. There are beautiful books. If we’re going to use music to repeat something that’s already been done, I don’t think any of us would be interested in it – and it wouldn’t be good.”
Instead, the team asked what theater would bring to the story. Answer? The magic of having an audience in a room together, sharing a vivid, highly dramatic, one-time experience. Swail says, “We’ve put everything we have into making sure it’s faithful to Paddington in terms of the elements that people love, but it also brings a lot of new material to the party.”
Apart from these grandiose sentiments, the creative team is remarkably cagey about certain aspects of the show. Namely, an important cast member. While most of the actors have been announced, including the legendary Bonnie Langford as Mrs. Bird, one character has yet to be unveiled: Paddington Bear himself. He is shrouded in mystery, the only hint at his possible mechanics being the fact that the cast list mentions a (currently unnamed) “bear designer” and a “bear creative team”.
Fletcher is predictably tight-lipped but assures me The audience is going to be in for a real treat. He says, “The most magical thing I’ve experienced at any show is seeing Paddington when he comes on stage.” “People aren’t prepared for it – even talking about it makes me emotional…” Meanwhile, when Swale first met the bear she was “the most starstruck I’ve ever been in my entire life”.
Their emotional reactions are telling; Paddington has always represented much more than a lovable bear. Rather, he is the quintessential outsider seeking friendship; An immigrant, alone and far from home, who comes to England on a boat in the hope that the British people will take care of him. When Bond was writing his story in 1958, Paddington was a symbol of the children who were deported as displaced persons during World War II. Even after so many years, its message remains as poignant at a time when conflict and climate disaster are displacing millions of people.
We’re able to be a little more anarchic and Paddington-ish about it – with a suitcase full of ideas.
Jessica Swale, playwright
It was important to Swell that the music tackled those challenging topics “without resorting to the political hammer.” They wanted to allow the audience to make their own connections. “The idea of bringing someone into your home who doesn’t have a home is now a very burdensome question for a lot of people,” she says. “But the central theme of the show is that, despite the fact that politics can be complicated, kindness is never complicated.” Fletcher nodded in agreement. “The message evolved into kindness,” he says. “It’s at the core of all Paddington stories. It’s amazing that our journey as writers led us to discover this.”
Most stories follow a flawed hero’s journey that fundamentally changes them. The special thing about Paddington is this He Never changes – Instead everyone changes, becoming a better version of themselves purely through facing it. This, as it turns out, also includes Swail and Fletcher. “This has been our journey too and it’s reflected in the nature of our working relationships – these are big topics to tackle, but we always have to remember to be kind to each other,” she says.
Fletcher predicts that the audience will probably notice the magic’s effect on them too. “It sounds so cheesy, but when the show is over, you’re left with this warmth,” he says. “You really see the world through marmalade-colored glasses.”
preview for paddington the musical Starting from November 1 at the Savoy Theatre, London