How Does the Bear Work and Who Is Inside It?

When Paddington WALKING on stage for the first time during a new West End musical based on the beloved bear, Savoy Theater audiences can barely contain their excitement. There are “awww”s, loud giggles and squeals of delight from the crowd as Paddington sings, dances and scrunches his furry face to convey happiness, sadness and confusion – it really is like the bear comes to life.

But how exactly did the team fall behind?Paddington, musical“bringing the Peruvian cub to life on stage? The answer is one elaborate bear costume and two very talented performers: James Hamid and Arti Shah.

Hamid, whose credits include Gaddafi: The Living Myth and For One Day Only – Live Aid, provides the voice of Paddington and remotely controls the bear's facial movements. Meanwhile, Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy and Harry Potter alum Arti Shah is inside the suit, bringing Paddington's physicality to the stage for much of the musical, which runs two hours and 40 minutes. Both artists have participated in the show through several workshops over the past three years, working together to perfect Paddington's every word, note and movement.

The musical Paddington, directed by Luke Sheppard and featuring music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, officially opens on Sunday night at the Savoy Hotel. Below Hamid and Shah give Diversity an insight into the work that went into bringing Paddington to life, what it was like meeting Prince William and Kate Middleton, and the message they hope viewers take away from the show.

What was your relationship with the Paddington character before you joined the production?

Shah name meaning: When I was 7 or 8 years old, watching Paddington on TV after school with my older brother is my first memory. And then obviously we have the 2014 films. And when my little son was born, his aunt gave him the Paddington books. So, we read them to him too, and our whole family enjoyed these films. But also two years ago I was recommended to work on Paddington in Peru, where I did a lot of physical work in the second block. So Paddington was in my life throughout my childhood and into my adult years, not only through family but also through work.

James Hamid: I'm of mixed heritage and my mum, being very, very British, obviously had a very different relationship with Paddington than my dad, who came here in the 70s. To my mother, he represented everything that was great about Britain: manners, politeness, tea. And for my father, it represented leaving home to find a new home for whatever reason, and it wasn't welcomed at first, and that challenge of coming to a place with a completely different culture. I think there's this duality in Paddington, that both exist at the same time – the idea that everyone has these individual relationships and they're all valid, they're all true. I think that's probably one of the reasons why it's so special. It kind of covers everything. Regardless of your political or religious point of view, he simply may represent a part of you that is so truthful and vulnerable.

Of course, one of the main messages I walked away from the musical with was the importance of kindness, especially with everything going on in the current political climate.

Shah: This is one thing we all seem to forget: it is about kindness, it is free, it is simple and it is inside all of us. It's just a gentle reminder that we can all be kind, and that's what the world really needs right now.

Hamid: This is a good lens that can be used to teach this not only to children, but also to adults. I think that takes away any preconceptions that anyone might have and makes it the most vulnerable version of it, and I think that's what allows it to be told without any resistance.

How exactly do you work together to bring Paddington to life?

Hamid: For my part, I start out as a separate character named Young Man. He comes with his own story and, to tell his story, he gives his voice to Paddington Bear. Then the Young Man disappears and Paddington tells his story through his own lens, his own physical form, but in the Young Man's voice, which is essentially Paddington's voice.

I also remotely control Paddington's puppeteer's facial expressions. At the very beginning, there were three people behind Paddington. We had a voice, a physical presence, and then a remote puppeteer. And I think at the beginning of '23 we did a test here at the Savoy, but we soon discovered that there was always going to be a little bit of a delay. With this type of puppeteering, it has to be as truthful and relatable as possible, and if you have three different people trying to achieve the same goal, it's a little more difficult than if there were two of you. We have Phil Woodfine, who coached me in remote puppetry, who is a legend in his field. They just said, “Well, James, do you want to try and make your mouth move in response to what you say and let's see what it looks like?” This means that we can fit together very well and there is no delay between what we do. That's all I'm allowed to give without giving away everything else, but I think we do enough to make you believe you see Paddington in the room.

Artie, you're in a bear costume, giving Paddington physicality. How is it and how do you stay calm on stage?

Shah: It keeps me nice and warm. I take my job very seriously, and before rehearsals started, I sat in the sauna fully clothed for a week, just to mentally prepare myself. The mind is a powerful tool. I wear a lot of padding and then a beautiful suit that makes me stand a certain way and brings the physicality to life. But I also touch on a form of method acting, drawing on my own emotions, because it's not just about being a bear, it's about showing emotions. But I have a lot of experience in the film industry, having worked on things like Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy. The heaviest suit I've ever worn was on Attack the Block, it weighed half my body weight and I was running on all fours with my arms outstretched. I don't think I would do it now because I'm much older, but it's not that difficult. So it's tolerable.

Paddington dances and runs around the stage for most of the show. Artie, how's that for you? How is your vision in a suit?

Shah: I don't know what to say to me…

Hamid: Maybe I can say this so you don't get in trouble. Essentially, Artie's vision in costume is extremely limited, which is where a lot of her previous work comes into play. Between us we try to find ways to get as much vision as possible, but there are times when Artie literally has none. And that really just says a lot about both her field and everyone in it, because I couldn't do that. There were times when I would come home and try to re-enact the lockdown with my eyes closed because I wanted to see what you were going through and I would think, “This is terrible.” It gave me a whole new wave of empathy for what you were going through. So part of my job is to try to make sure whoever is doing the physical Paddington is safe – that's always my priority above anything else.

I saw that Paddington met with Prince William and Kate Middleton a couple of weeks ago. What was it like?

Shah: Paddington performed very well. He minded his manners, tried to share a jelly sandwich, and took off his hat. He was very, very impressed. However, Prince William tried to ask Paddington a lot of questions, such as: “Is he getting hot?” I think he was asking to mebut Tom Fletcher did very well and said: “Paddington is from Peru, he's used to the heat!” I think Paddington was very excited, but at the same time very calm. He's a professional.

Obviously, the musical Paddington is just opening in London, but is there any hope that the show will travel to other places – maybe New York?

Hamid: I will say that Paddington travels a lot and is loved by everyone, so I think he would work anywhere in the world. Let's go through London first, but so far it's been very well received.

Shah: He is very adaptable. And his suitcase will always be stuffed with marmalade.