Paddington is heading to London’s West End in a brand-new stage production, Paddington: The Musical—and the onstage puppet version of the marmalade-loving bear is melting hearts across social media.

According to the BBC, the musical has been in development for more than a decade. Earlier this week, the show’s official accounts shared a behind-the-scenes look at the lifelike puppet, sparking a wave of emotional reactions online.

The show made its world premiere on Nov. 1 at the Savoy Theatre, and early audience reactions have been overwhelmingly positive.

Paddington: The Musical explained

Paddington Bear made his debut in a children’s book in 1958 and has been beloved ever since. Since then, there have been many follow-ups to Paddington’s original story. The character grew in popularity thanks to the 2014 film Paddington and its 2017 follow-up, Paddington 2. A third installment titled Paddinton in Peru was released in 2024.

As for Paddington: The Musical, the music and lyrics are by Tom Fletcher, with a book by Jessica Swale.

The character is being played on stage by Arti Shah, who has worked on an array of popular projects as an actor, puppeteer, and scale double. Her credits include multiple Star Wars projects, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and Guardians of the Galaxy. She also worked as the Paddington reference on Paddington in Peru.

@itsamelia2342 needed to document the cutest thing i’ve ever seen in my entire life on tiktok because LOOK AT HIMMMMM! never thought i’d cry so much at a person in a bear suit. this was the bows, obviously not during the show. #paddington #paddingtonbear #theatre #theatretok #westend ♬ original sound – Amelia

Meanwhile, James Hameed will be performing Paddington’s voice offstage. His theatre roles include Gaddafi: A Living Myth, Spamilton, Asylum, Fiddler on the Roof, Be More Chill, and Aladdin. You can see another look at the onstage Paddington below:

What are people saying about Paddington: The Musical?

Ever since Paddington: The Musical shared a good look at the West End bear, social media has gone bezerk. Considering the character’s immense popularity, it’s no surprise people are hyped for the newest version of Paddington.

“I would literally die for Paddington,” one fan tweeted.

“Y’all 😭😭 they have a Paddington musical playing in London right now and I cannot get over how cute he is,” another person shared.

“Was feeling very sad about dying trades and the trend cycle and AI art until I saw musical Paddington … Nothing beats slow & love-filled art,” one fan posted.

“I have not stopped thinking about the Paddington stage puppet since the musical came out. I would die for him,” someone else shared.

“Wdym? That’s just Paddington,” a true believer commented.

You can even find some reactions to the show online. “Well, that was absolutely stunning, for a first preview of a world premiere as it goes – perfect! It’s been made aware now how Paddington is brought to life, but that combination of puppetry and personification was beautiful. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes. 10/10 no notes,” one theatre-goer shared.

The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s newsletter here.

Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.

The post “I would die for him”: The new “Paddington” musical goes viral for its lifelike bear puppet and heartwarming performance appeared first on The Daily Dot.

Categories Social Media

Tags social media