Paddington the Musical has had rave reviews, with critics and audience-goers alike amazed at how Paddington has been brought to the stage – a part of the show kept tightly under wraps until opening night.
In a feat of staging, actress Arti Shah is in-costume as Paddington, while actor James Hameed provides Paddington’s voice and controls the bear’s facial expressions remotely. It’s a type of technical prowess that took years to form, with Arti and James working together closely to make their joint performance as in-sync as possible.
This is far from Arti’s first time working in a major franchise. She has appeared in a number of Star Wars films, as well as appearing in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2 and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. She also has a long list of television credits including Psychoville, Hope Springs and Come Fly With Me.
As well as being an experienced actress, Arti is a diversity and inclusion advocate and regularly speaks at schools and universities about the importance of diversity and inclusion. She hopes to show that being different is not just ok, but that it’s powerful. Paddington the Musical, with music and lyrics from Tom Fletcher of McFly fame, is at the Savoy Theatre in London, booking through to February 2027.
Book tickets at paddingtonthemusical.com.
Photos: Johan Persson
