A small bear from Peru is making the long trip to Australia. In arguably one of the most exciting musical theatre announcements as of late (and there have been many) to someone who was already brainstorming a trip to the West End next year to see the production, it has been confirmed that Paddington the Musical will open at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre in September 2027, making Sydney the first Australian city to stage the show. This follows the musical’s recent premiere on London’s West End at the Savoy Theatre, and the Broadway production which will debut next April. The Australian staging is being presented by Sonia Friedman Productions, STUDIOCANAL, Eliza Lumley Productions on behalf of Universal Music UK, and Australian producer Suzanne Jones of JONES Theatrical Group.
Producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley explained their approach to taking the show beyond London and why they settled on Sydney:
From the outset, we have wanted PADDINGTON The Musical to open only in cities where it can be produced with the same ambition, care and theatrical scale as in London. Paddington’s journey across the world in search of a new home – and his discovery that home can be found through kindness, acceptance and a sense of belonging – feels particularly resonant for Australian audiences. Together with Sydney’s extraordinary appetite for world-class musical theatre and the affection Australians have long held for Paddington, this makes the city a natural new home for our production. We are thrilled to be bringing the show to the Capitol Theatre with STUDIOCANAL and deeply grateful to Destination NSW for its belief in the production and for helping us bring Paddington to Sydney.
In the musical, Paddington arrives in London from Peru, lost and with nowhere to call home. A chance encounter with the Browns sets off a run of adventures built around the idea that kindness can change lives and that strangers can become family. The city proves less welcoming than it first appears, however, and even a seemingly happy household can have cracks beneath the surface. When a mysterious and vengeful villain sets her sights on Paddington, the Browns launch a rescue mission, realising along the way that they need the bear just as much as he needs them.
The production is based on Michael Bond’s characters, drawing on his book A Bear Called Paddington and the STUDIOCANAL film Paddington, with a story inspired by the award-winning films STUDIOCANAL developed and produced with Heyday Films. Its core creative trio includes Tom Fletcher (original music and lyrics), Jessica Swale (book) and Luke Sheppard (director).
Suzanne Jones, the Australian producer from JONES Theatrical Group, described what drew her to the show and her hopes for its Sydney season:
As an Australian producer, I am immensely proud that Sydney will be the first city in Australia to welcome PADDINGTON The Musical. It is a rare new musical: spectacular in scale, but always led by character, humour and heart. Our partnership with Sonia, Eliza and the wider creative team gives us the opportunity to bring Australian audiences a production with all the imagination, craft and ambition that have made the show such an unprecedented success in London. I cannot wait for Sydney audiences to meet this very special bear at the Capitol Theatre.
Composer Tom Fletcher reflected on his time working on the show and on bringing it to Australia:
It has been the greatest adventure of my career to be entrusted with bringing Paddington’s story to life on stage alongside my brilliant creative collaborators Jessica, Luke and our producers Sonia and Eliza. The response from West End audiences of all ages has been unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I’ve made many happy memories writing, recording and touring Australia over the years and I am so excited to have the opportunity to bring our show to Sydney and share this very rare and special bear with Australian audiences.
The musical is the latest chapter for a character with a long publishing history. Bond’s A Bear Called Paddington was published by Collins, later HarperCollins, in 1958. It was the first of 29 Paddington books he wrote, the last being Paddington at St. Paul’s, which was published posthumously in 2018.
Casting for the Sydney production will follow at a later date, as will all ticketing information and (hopefully) plans of a national tour after the premiere Sydney season. A waitlist is now available to get first dibs at tickets once they go on sale.
