When Paddington first waddles on stage throughout the brand new West Finish musical based mostly on the beloved bear, the viewers on the Savoy Theatre can hardly include their pleasure. Exclamations of “aww,” loud chuckles and enthusiastic yelps ring out from the group as Paddington sings, dances and crinkles his furry face to convey happiness, disappointment and confusion — it’s actually like watching the bear come to life.
However how precisely did the staff behind “Paddington the Musical” translate the Peruvian cub’s likeness to the stage? The reply is one expertly crafted bear swimsuit and two very gifted performers: James Hameed and Arti Shah.
Hameed, whose credit embrace “Gaddafi: A Residing Fable” and “Only for One Day — The Stay Help Musical,” is the voice of Paddington and remotely puppeteers the bear’s facial actions. In the meantime, “Star Wars,” “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Harry Potter” alum Arti Shah is contained in the swimsuit, embodying Paddington’s physicality on stage for a lot of the musical’s two-hour-and-40-minute runtime. Each performers have been with the present via a number of workshops for the previous three years, working collectively to excellent Paddington’s each phrase, be aware and transfer.
Directed by Luke Sheppard with music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, “Paddington the Musical” formally opens on Sunday evening on the Savoy. Under, Hameed and Shah give Selection perception into the work that has gone into bringing Paddington to life, what it was like assembly Prince William and Kate Middleton and the message they hope the viewers takes away from the present.
What had been your respective relationships with the character of Paddington earlier than becoming a member of the manufacturing?
Arti Shah: Being 7 or 8 years outdated and watching “Paddington” on TV after college with my older brother, that’s my first reminiscence. After which clearly, we now have the movies in 2014. And when my younger son was born, he was gifted the “Paddington” books by his aunt. So we had been studying them to him as effectively, and we’ve liked the movies as a household. But additionally, two years in the past, I used to be beneficial to work on “Paddington in Peru,” doing a variety of the bodily work on the second unit. So Paddington has been in my life all through childhood and in my grownup years, not simply household however work as effectively.
James Hameed: I’m from a combined heritage, and my mum, being very, very British, had clearly a really completely different relationship to Paddington than my father, who came to visit within the ’70s. For my mum, he represented all the very best issues about Britain — manners, politeness, tea. And for my father, he represented leaving a house to discover a new house, for no matter motive, and never being welcomed at first and that problem of coming to a spot that has a completely completely different tradition. I feel there’s such a duality with Paddington that each exist on the identical time — this concept that everybody has such a person relationship and all of them are legitimate, all of them are true. I feel that’s in all probability one of many the explanation why he’s so particular. He type of encompasses every thing. Irrespective of your political or non secular perspective, he simply can symbolize a side of you that’s so true and weak.
Teddy Kempner and James Hameed in “Paddington the Musical.”
Johan Persson
Definitely, one of many principal messages I walked away with from the musical was the significance of kindness, particularly with every thing occurring within the present political local weather.
Shah: That’s one factor that all of us appear to neglect, it’s about kindness and it’s free and it’s easy and all of us have it inside us. It’s only a light reminder that we are able to all be form, and that is what the world actually wants proper now.
Hameed: It’s an excellent lens to show that to not solely youngsters, however to adults as effectively. I feel it strips away any preconceptions anybody may need, and makes it essentially the most weak model of that story and I feel that’s what permits it to be advised with none resistance.
How precisely do you’re employed collectively to deliver Paddington to life?
Hameed: On my facet, I begin off as a separate character referred to as the Younger Man. He arrives together with his personal story and as a way to inform his story, he kind of presents his voice to Paddington Bear. The Younger Man then disappears and Paddington tells his story together with his personal lens, his personal physicalities, however with the voice of the Younger Man, which is actually Paddington’s voice.
I additionally remotely puppeteer Paddington’s facial expressions. Within the very early days, there have been initially three individuals behind Paddington. We had the voice, the bodily presence after which the distant puppeteer. And we did a check right here on the Savoy in early ’23 I feel, however what we quickly discovered was there was all the time simply going to be a slight delay. With this sort of puppeteering, it must be as true and as linked as attainable, and should you’ve obtained three completely different individuals making an attempt to attain the identical factor, it’s a little bit more durable than should you had two. We obtained Phill Woodfine, who has been teaching me on distant puppetry, who’s a legend in his discipline. They simply had been like, “Effectively, James, do you need to attempt to make the mouth transfer to what you’re saying and let’s see what that appears like?” It’s meant that we’re capable of mix rather well and there’s no delays between what we’re doing. That’s as a lot as I’m allowed to offer with out freely giving every thing else, however I feel that we do sufficient that you’ll consider you’re seeing Paddington within the room.
Arti, you’re within the bear swimsuit, bringing physicality to Paddington. What’s it like in there and the way do you keep cool on stage?
Shah: It retains me good and heat. I take my job very significantly, and earlier than we began rehearsals I sat in a sauna totally clothed each day for every week, simply to mentally put together myself. The thoughts is a robust device. I put on a variety of padding after which the beautiful swimsuit, which makes me stand in a sure manner and brings the physicality to life. However I additionally contact on a type of Technique performing, drawing by myself feelings as a result of it’s not nearly being the bear, you must present the feelings. However I’ve had a variety of expertise within the movie business engaged on issues like “Star Wars” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The heaviest swimsuit I’ve ever worn was on “Assault the Block,” it was half my physique weight and I used to be working on all fours with arm extensions. I don’t assume I might do this now as a result of I’m rather a lot older, however it’s not as robust as doing that. So, it’s bearable.
“Paddington the Musical.”
Johan Persson
Paddington is dancing and working across the stage for a lot of the present — Arti, what’s that like for you? What’s your imaginative and prescient like within the swimsuit?
Shah: I don’t know what I’m allowed to say…
Hameed: Perhaps I can say it, so that you don’t get in bother. Basically, Arti’s imaginative and prescient is extraordinarily restricted within the swimsuit and that’s the place her plethora of earlier work actually comes into play. Between us, we attempt to work out methods to get as a lot imaginative and prescient as attainable, however there are occasions the place Arti has actually none. And that actually simply speaks volumes for her line of labor and anybody who does that line of labor, as a result of I couldn’t do this. There have been occasions after I would go house and attempt to reenact the blocking with my eyes closed as a result of I needed to see what you had been experiencing, and I used to be like, that is terrifying. It gave me an entire new line of empathy for what you had been going via. So a part of my job is to attempt to guarantee that whoever is performing bodily Paddington is protected — that’s all the time my precedence above every thing else.
I noticed that Paddington obtained to fulfill Prince William and Kate Middleton a few weeks in the past. What was that like?
Shah: Paddington did very effectively. He minded his manners, he tried to share his marmalade sandwich and he tipped his hat. He was very, very impressed. Nonetheless, Prince William was making an attempt to ask Paddington a variety of questions as in, “Does he get scorching?” I feel he was asking me, however Tom Fletcher did rather well and stated, “Paddington’s from Peru, he’s used to the warmth!” I feel Paddington was very excited however very calm on the identical time. He’s knowledgeable.
Clearly, “Paddington the Musical” is simply opening in London, however is there hope for the present to journey different locations — possibly New York?
Hameed: I’ll say that Paddington is effectively traveled and beloved by all, so I feel he would work in any setting internationally. Let’s get via London first, however he’s been very effectively obtained to date.
Shah: He’s very adaptable. And he’ll all the time have his suitcase filled with marmalade.
The corporate of “Paddington the Musical.”
Johan Persson
