.Bonnie Langford is Mrs. Bird in the new West End musical adaptation of Paddington Bear
Paddington Bear is coming to the West End in a new musical adaptation. And Doctor Who star Bonnie Langford will be part of the fun. Langford, who played the Doctor’s companion Mel from 1986 to 1987 before making a triumphant return in recent seasons plays Mrs. Bird. The Brown family’s feisty and snarky housekeeper is a key member of the household. The character was memorably played by Julie Walters in the past decade’s film series.
Bonnie Langford is also famous, of course, for her decades in the West End and on Broadway, including being the original Rumpleteazer in Cats.
The new show draws more heavily on the fist of those three films rather than the original children’s books. As such, it features Paddington’s original arrival in London, a refugee smuggling himself to London from Peru by boat. Taken in by the kindly Mrs. Brown, and taking his new name from after the train station where he met them, the bear has to win over the more skeptical Mr. Brown despite causing chaos and destruction across the house. He also has to contend with deeply suspicious neighbour Mr. Curry, who doesn’t hold with foreign bears coming over here, taking our marmalade sandwiches, and with zoologist Millicent Clyde, who has dark reasons of her own to want to see Paddington stuffed and mounted.
Along the way, the Browns and the entire community of Windsor Gardens might learn a little bit more about themselves. And that life is always a little brighter when it contains a small bear called Paddington.
Directed by Luke Sheppard, with original music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, the show’s book is by Olivier Award-winner Jessica Swale. Paddington The Musical arrives at the Savoy Theatre this Autumn. Previews begin on the 7th of November. You can book your tickets now through the official site, with prices starting at under £30.
