Paddington – the amiable anthropomorphised bespectacled bear from ‘darkest Peru’ with his red hat, battered brown suitcase, royal blue duffel coat and penchant for marmalade sandwiches – has become one of the most beloved British fictional characters. Originally appearing in Michael Bond’s timeless children’s picture books, first published in 1958, his status as the nation’s favourite ursine icon was cemented during the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022, when a CGI version of Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) appeared as a special guest of her Majesty in a sweet-natured video segment showing them taking afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace.
It is high time, therefore, that Paddington has an attraction devoted exclusively to him and his world. The lavish new central London immersive experience on Southbank (next door to the SEA LIFE London Aquarium) is entirely dedicated to Paddington, and is a live extension of the world of the two (soon to be three) highly popular Paul King StudioCanal Paddington films. The films themselves are modern masterpieces, and have done much to breathe new life into Paddington and the other characters from the books, captivating a new generation with the friendly bear’s exploits and occasional mishaps.
Whilst familiarity with the films absolutely isn’t a prerequisite for visiting The Paddington Bear Experience, there are many visual and verbal allusions to them throughout the course of this adventure, which is in essence an immersive theatre show that takes the audience in small groups on a gentle journey from Paddington Station to 32 Windsor Gardens and beyond.
My daughters and I attend on a Monday afternoon in August, and are assigned amber coloured wristbands at the entrance in Mr Gruber's Antique Shop. We wait at a replica Paddington Station to board our train to Windsor Gardens, and are serenaded by a pre-recorded version of the band from the films playing ‘London is the Place for Me’ and entertained by the friendly station guards. After a somewhat implausibly convoluted journey from Paddington toNotting Hill (via London Bridge and a fair bit of the English countryside!) we arrive at 32 Windsor Gardensfor this year’s Marmalade Day Festival. DesignerRebecca Brower has faithfully recreated the entire downstairs of the Brown’s bohemianNotting Hill pad.We are introduced toaslightly flustered Mrs Brown,who greets us all warmly and promptlyenlists the help of many of the children and adults in our group to help put up the buntingfor the celebrations.
Directed by Tom Maller and written by Katie Lyons, the Experiencedoes a wonderful job of channelling the franchise’s reassuring pleasantness. The show is based on the audience’s interactions with actors who set simple, enjoyable problem-solving tasks: putting together jigsaw puzzles, helping to assemble the ingredients for a cake, and, more outlandishly, searching for oranges in the Peruvian rainforest. For an hour or so it really feels as though we’ve been transported into the enchanting, idealised world of the films. At the end of the Experience, there is a chance to meet Paddington himself and pose for photographs, munch marmalade sandwiches, and play some old-fashioned fairground style games in the beautifully designed ersatz Windsor Gardens.
Our group was composed predominantly of families, but there were also a few adults attending without children; Paddington does, after all, hold huge intergenerational appeal. All the kids in our group (including my own, aged seven and five) were spellbound throughout – this world felt real enough to them. The attention to detail was commedably forensic: I noticed that the correspondence on Mr Brown’s Desk was all meticulously realistic, and even the Council Tax bill from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea was properly addressed to 32 Windsor Gardens.
Tickets are not particularly cheap, but compared with a West End theatre trip they are decently priced, and it’s worth noting that groups are kept to a very manageable size. Everyone in our group had opportunities to participate in proceedings, and my daughters and I certainly felt very involved in the whole enterprise.
Overall, The Paddington Bear Experience is delightful,and put together with great love and close attention to detail. It does a great job of letting you feel you’ve stepped into an idealised version of London, at least for a little while. It would be impossible not to leave feeling utterly uplifted and charmed.
For further information and tickets, please visit paddingtonbearexperience.com
