With rehearsals in full swing, producers Sonia Friedman Productions, STUDIOCANAL and Eliza Lumley Productions on behalf of Universal Music UK have announced the release of Explorer & the Bear, the first single from Paddington The Musical.
Written and performed by the show’s composer Tom Fletcher, the track will be released by Decca Records on Friday, 26 September.
Tom Fletcher said, “This is such an exciting day for us all on Paddington The Musical – to finally share our first song with you all! It’s been an amazing process making this musical with a team of incredible creatives, and it’s both nerve wracking and thrilling in equal measure to begin to put it out into the world. We hope you love it as much as we do.”
Producers Sonia Friedman and Eliza Lumley added, “It’s a privilege to be able to share Explorer & the Bear – the very first song we are releasing from Paddington The Musical. It’s truly wonderful to have Tom perform the vocals for this track, which in the show is sung by Paddington himself. This release marks the beginning of a series of songs we’ll be sharing in the months ahead, as we build towards the official opening at the Savoy Theatre at the end of November.”
In the musical, Explorer & the Bear is sung by Paddington as he searches for the Explorer who once promised Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo a home in London.
The accompanying video features footage from Abbey Road Studios and the rehearsal room, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the cast and creative team.
Paddington The Musical is adapted from Michael Bond’s beloved books and the award-winning STUDIOCANAL films. It features music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, a book by Jessica Swale, and direction by Luke Sheppard.
The cast includes Timi Akinyosade, Delilah Bennett-Cardy, Amy Booth-Steel, Tarinn Callender, Adrian Der Gregorian, Tom Edden, Brenda Edwards, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, Teddy Kempner, Bonnie Langford, Amy Ellen Richardson, and Joseph Bramley, Leo Collon, Stevie Hare and Jasper Rowse as Jonathan Brown.
Additional company members include Esme Bacalla-Hayes, David Birch, Tiago Dhondt Bamberger, Aimée Fisher, Jacqueline Hughes, Kellianna Jay, Sam Lathwood, Natasha Leaver, Katie Lee, Sunny Lee, Vicki Lee Taylor, Jáiden Lodge, Andilé Mabhena, Rose Mary O’Reilly, Ben Redfern, Hugo Rolland and Simon Shorten.
The creative team features Matt Brind (Musical Supervisor), Ellen Kane (Choreographer), Tom Pye (Scenic Designer), Gabriella Slade (Costume Designer), Neil Austin (Lighting Designer), Gareth Owen (Sound Designer), Ash J Woodward (Video Designer), Campbell Young Associates (Hair, Wig & Make-Up), Majid Adin (Illustration), Laura Bangay (Musical Director), Natalie Gallacher CDG (Casting), Nick Hockaday (Young Persons’ Casting), Javier Marzan (Physical Comedy Consultant), and Tobago and D-Lime (Additional Music Consultants).
Paddington The Musical opens at the Savoy Theatre on Sunday, 30 November, with previews from Saturday, 1 November, and is currently booking until 25 May 2026.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
