Bear necessities of theatre

Helen Coffey chats to playwright Jessica Swale and McFly frontman Tom Fletcher about the five-year journey that brought Peru's favourite bear, Paddington, to the West End

- Helen Coffey

It’s the greatest privilege to be asked to do this.

But also, woe betide anyone who gets it wrong…”

Jessica Swale laughs nervously as she says this. Tom Fletcher is smiling - or is it grimacing? Both creatives boast stellar credentials: Swale is an Olivier Award-winning playwright, filmmaker and director; Fletcher, the frontman of Noughties pop-rock band McFly, a coach on The Voice and a bestselling children’s author. Still, the pair look suitably daunted when contemplating the pressure they’re under to deliver with their latest project: Paddington the Musical, arriving in the West End next month.

It is, undeniably, a tall order. With his signature red hat, royal blue duffle coat and obsession with all things marmalade, the beloved bear is more than the sum of his adorable parts — he’s officially achieved national treasure status, a British icon on a par with David Attenborough and Big Ben. In the past decade, the cub has transcended his roots as the humble creation of children’s author Michael Bond thanks to three eponymous films, which have introduced the Peruvian expat’s unique brand of chaotic charm and unerring kindness to a whole new audience. An association with the late Queen Elizabeth II, both during her Jubilee celebrations and then at her passing, further catapulted Paddington into the stratosphere.

“He represents so many more things than any other fictional character I can think of,” says Swale, who has inked the script for the new musical. “We both felt like this was the most exciting thing - and also a mega responsibility.”