Paddington: The Musical is coming to Sydney in 2027
Hugely successful West End show will open at Capitol Theatre in September 2027, with dates in other Australian cities yet to be announced
Australia, prepare to start guarding your marmalade reserves: the award-winning Paddington: The Musical is on its way.
Dates in any other Australian cities have yet to be announced, as has the cast.
Sydney is a long way from London’s Paddington Station, where the clumsy but lovable bear from Peru is taken in by the Brown family and wins over the whole neighbourhood.
Much has been made of the state-of-the-art animatronic puppet used to portray Paddington, which was designed by costume designer Tahra Zafar. In London, the bear is played by a duo: James Hameed provides the voice and is the remote puppeteer, while Arti Shah performs wearing the furry costume.
Paddington: The Musical won seven Olivier awards earlier this year, tying for the record for the most wins for any musical, including best new musical, a joint best actor in a musical award for Hameed and Shah, and best set design. It also won a record nine WhatsOnStage awards and the Critics’ Circle award for best new musical.
In a statement, the show’s producers, Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley, said they were “thrilled” the show would go to Sydney due to the city’s “extraordinary appetite for world-class musical theatre and the affection Australians have long held for Paddington”.
“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.”
“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,” he added.
Dive deeper
- Hugely successful West End show will open at Capitol Theatre in September 2027, with dates in other Australian cities yet to be announced
- Australia, prepare to start guarding your marmalade reserves: the award-winning Paddington: The Musical is on its way.
- Dates in any other Australian cities have yet to be announced, as has the cast.
- Sydney is a long way from London’s Paddington Station, where the clumsy but lovable bear from Peru is taken in by the Brown family and wins over the whole neighbourhood.
- Much has been made of the state-of-the-art animatronic puppet used to portray Paddington, which was designed by costume designer Tahra Zafar. In London, the bear is played by a duo: James Hameed provides the voice and is the remote puppetee