Review: TINA - THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL (UK Tour) @ Palace, Manchester

 

★★★★★ (5 of 5)

 

Principal performers appearing on 26/11/26:

Bree Smith (Tina Turner)

David King-Yombo (Ike Turner)

Sophia St. Louis (young Anna Mae Bullock)

Martin Allanson (Phil Spector)

William Beckerleg (Erwin Bach)

Rushland Chambers (Richard Bullock)

Claude East (Gran Georgeanna)

Issac Elder (Roger Davies)

Georgina Gillam (Alline Bullock)

Letitia Hector (Zelma Bullock)

Gemma Sutton (Rhonda Gram)

Kyle Richardson (Raymond Hill)

   

She is the undisputed Queen of Rock 'n' Soul. Two and a half years since the world lost the legendary Tina Turner,  her story and her music are still filling theatres up and down the land with this official bio show,  which charts the lows and the highs of an extraordinary life.

We first saw the show during its West End run in January 2023, when Kristina Love was leading the London company.  We've wanted to catch up with it again and now with its extended stay in Manchester, we can finally take in once again one of the true quality jukebox musicals out there. 

Turner started off as Anna-Mae Bullock singing gospel (loudly) in her native Nutbush, Tennessee chapel.  One night as a teenager she saw Ike Turner performing with his band at a local nightclub, she somehow got hold of the drummer's microphone in the interval and belted out a blues number. Ike knew he had heard a special voice.  He invited her to join his band and Tina made her first record in 1958, credited as Little Ann on the single "Boxtop".  It was the catalyst for both performing intensity and a personal rollercoaster as Ike and Tina (he gave her her new stage name) became romantically involved.  They toured intensively, building up a strong live following although their records stalled in the lower reaches of the charts.  Recording guru Phil Spector spotted Tina and knew her voice was just what his latest record was needing: "River Deep Mountain High" - now an all time classic - only managed a no. 88 placing on the Billboard chart, although a considerably bigger hit in the UK.  

 

With her marriage disolving into domestic violence,  Tina had no choice but to walk out on Ike for the sake of her children and her own safetly.  From there, it was scratching a living on the oldies circuit and a Las Vegas residency where she struggled to pay her performers,  trapped as she was in litigation with Ike over her stage name and other business matters. But slowly the tide begins to turn,  she is invited over to England to make some demos.  One of these "What's Love Got To Do With It" is a catalyst for a whole new start, and slowly Tina Tina Superstar emerges to become the icon we all know.

It is the ultimate showbiz survivor story, and it comes with a soundtrack to die for.  In addition to the songs already mentioned we have so many more legendary tracks:  "I Can't Stand The Rain",  "Better Be Good To Me",  "Private Dancer", "Disco Inferno", "Nutbush City Limits", "Proud Mary" - the list just goes on.  It all builds for Tina to a concert in front of 180,000 fans in Brazil, and the hairs-on-the back-of-your neck performance of that song, proving to any doubters that she is simply... well you can probably guess!

Bree Smith (who we previously saw triumph in the Come From Away UK tour and The Wiz at Hope Mill) inhabits Tina like a shape shifter. She has the 'fire and heaven' that the character needs and she convinces us utterly that she is Tina Turner. The scenes of domestic abuse are hard to watch, and Smith plays them to the hilt. She is matched by David King-Yombo in a bravura performance of the drug fuelled Ike.  Its hard being the villain of the piece but King-Yombo delivers straight down the line with a sleazy, physical presence that earned him boos at the curtain call - the sure sign of a job very well done. They are the core of the drama of the piece but are supported by a cast who are incredibly versatile. Letitia Hector as Zelma, Tina's mother,  embodies the coldness of their relationship, saddled with a child she never really wanted. Georgina Gillam is sister Alline, the one saving grace in the household as the sisters find their way in the world, and discover rock'n' roll. Sophia St. Louis delivers a lot of gusto as the young Anna Mae. Perhaps a potential older Tina in years to come?

 Above: Bree Smith as Tina

 

The production has lost a bit of its stage scenery since the West End, with much of the hard work being done by an LED video screen, hwoever it is still a spectacular show with Mark Thompson's sumptuous costumes and where the energy levels drain the national grid. Director Phyllida Lloyd (who was also behind the global success of Mamma Mia!) has hit the jackpot twice with this show, and choreographer Anthony Van Laast conjurs up moves from the dance crazes of decades past to provide a dance time machine for our journey from the birth of rock 'n' roll to 1980s excess.  And lets not forget the band under musical director Sarah Burrell who are at the very heart of recreating those oh so familiar melodies and arrangements. They are the very core of the evening.

Tina's is a story of hope against the darkest of forces (the spectre of racisim is very much present too), and as an audience we collectively cheer her every step of the way.  Tina was a class act, and so too is this official version of her story. We don't need another hero - we've got the real deal.

Rob & Ian 

 

Details of the UK tour of Tina can be found at the shows OFFICIAL WEBSITE 

Further listening: 

Although the original London cast recording is a certain go to, also check out this live recording from Hamburg featuring Kristina Love, a fine recording of the show with tracks in both German and English.

FOR THE RECORD: Mamma Mia!

 

It's quite possibly the most popular musical on the planet. The songs of ABBA gloriously transposed to a romantic plot on a Greek Island. When the musical appeared in London in the spring of 1999 few could have predicted the global phenomenon it would become, spawning a Hollywood movie and a sequel, not to mention a dining experience inspired by the show.

Over the years cast recordings of Mamma Mia! have been plentiful,  and as usual I am not including the cheap cash-in versions, just concentrating on the official albums released to accompany productions around the world. Many of these recordings are still available via the DISCOGS website where they can be purchased by international sellers.

ORIGINAL LONDON CAST RECORDING 1999

Running time: 73 minutes / Bonus: 80 minutes Tracks: 24 / Bonus: 27  Language: English

The world premiere cast recording for Mamma Mia! is as you would expect a joyous affair with the original Dynamos: Siobhan McCarthy (Donna),  Jenny Galloway (Rosie) and Louise Plowright (Tanya) leading the fray. McCarthy was celebrating her third leading role at the Prince Edward Theatre having been part of the original casts of Evita and Chess at the venue.  Here she gives her distinctive vocals to the ABBA classics, coupled with a band who are convincingly re-creating the 1970s ABBA soundscape.  Although the singing vocals are first rate, the recording strangely feels as if it might have been recorded in a box, there is a flatness to excerpts of dialogue and the mix doesn't feel quite right in places. But having said that Lisa Stokke is a fine Sophie and Siobhan finds the emotional heart of "The Winner Takes It All" easily. For the fifth anniversary of the show,  original cast members were invited back into the studio to lay down their vocals to a live backing for the three encore numbers: "Mamma Mia / Dancing Queen / Waterloo",  providing bonus tracks to the original album on re-release.  8/10

 

 

HAMBURG (GERMANY) CAST RECORDING 2004

Running time: 80 minutes / Bonus: 78 minutes  Tracks: 24 / Bonus: 26  Language: German

A full five years after the original cast, comes this recording from Hamburg. Recorded live in the theatre,  it better represents the energy and buzz of the show than the studio setting of the English recording, even starting with the comedy announcement at the beginning of the evening prior to the Overture. The sound is crisp and clear and this recording includes the lovely instrumental section in "Slipping Through My Fingers" which is usually omitted. Caroline Fortenbacher as Donna has a fine voice, hitting the emotional highs easily and is at her best when unleashed on "The Winner Takes It All".  In 2006 this recording was re-released with two bonus finale tracks: "Mamma Mia" and "Waterloo" however several tracks were trimmed to accomodate the extra songs. 9/10

N.B.  Edited versions on bonus tracks CD, running times of original and trimmed versions.  "Overture/ Prologue" 3.41 / 2.58  "Lay All Your Love On Me" 3.20 / 3.06   "Entr'acte" 2.16 / 1.41  "Knowing Me, Knowing You" 3.45 / 2.55 "Slipping Through My Fingers" 5.24 / 3.36  "I Have A Dream" 3.17 / 3.01

 

NETHERLANDS CAST RECORDING 2004

Running time: 80 minutes Tracks: 24 Language: Dutch

Another live album, recorded in the city of Utrecht,  again this is a good recording incorporating all the major musical passages of the show with small snatches of dialogue for good measure.  It doesn't quite have the pizzaz of the German recording, but comes pretty close.  8/10

SPANISH CAST RECORDING 2005

Running time: 79 minutes  Tracks: 24  Language: Spanish  

We are back in the studio again with the Madrid cast for this version. Again a sharp sound, which captures the energy of the piece. Some rather nice and bold linking dialogue on this one, for those with ABBA's Spanish language album Gracias Por La Musica, get ready to sing along: "Dame! Dame! Dame"  I was rather taken with "Our Last Summer" ("Un verano") on this one performed by Nando González and Nina  8/10

SWEDISH CAST RECORDING 2005

Running time: 78 minutes  Tracks: 25  Language: Swedish

The Dynamos are truly on home turf with the opening of the show in ABBA's native Stockholm. This recording features the first outing for the extended Overture at the opening of the show.  For some reason though it omits "Gimme Gimme Gimme" from its track list,  but does feature the encore of "Waterloo".  As you might expect for a recording in ABBA's homeland, this is a top class sound and mix (possibly under the personal scrutiny of Benny and Bjorn).  Again we get the instrumental in "Slipping Through My Fingers". Imagine the cast having to perform these songs before all four members of ABBA on the opening night. No pressure!  9/10

 

KOREAN CAST RECORDING 2007

Running time: 80 minutes  Tracks: 24  Language:  Korean 

We are in non-European territory now, with the first Asian production.  It's a live recording again,  back to the shorter Overture though. Its a vanilla track list, no encores. Korean is not a soft language but the cast work hard to get the emotion of the material through. 8/10

 

MAMMA MIA THE MOVIE

Running time:  70 minutes   Tracks:  17   Language: English 

It had to happen and when it did, it was in a style more spectacular than we could have hoped.  Practically the perfect screen musical, the classiness of the stage production was replicated and then some with an all star cast at the top of their game. Of course some songs were dropped from the stage show and "When All Is Said And Done" (surely the hit single that never was) added to the track list.  A hidden track at the end of the album "Thank You For The Music" by Amanda Seyfried echoes the 'Doris Day Version' recorded by Agnetha during ABBA's recording heyday. "The Name Of The Game" gets an outing even though it was cut from the final edit, maybe at a late stage?  It is a pity that some of the incidental music and even "Waterloo" were not added here, as there is a sense that this could have been an even greater album.  But as it is, the joy of the movie is found in these recordings  9/10

 

PARIS CAST RECORDING 2011

Running time: 80 minutes  Tracks: 27  Language:  French

Once more we are live,  this time in Paris,  for the French premiere of the show.  Unlike some of the other live recordings you can actually feel the excitement in the audience as they lap up their favourite ABBA tunes. Their enjoyment is palpable.  By this time the first movie had been released, so audiences were now familiar with the story set up and it almost becomes a spiritual experience for the ABBA faithful.  Track by track the Paris cast knock it out of the park, and how can such a well received performance end, naturally with the three encore numbers.  How though do you put over "Waterloo", a song about the defeat of the French by the British in Paris?  By performing "Waterloo" in English of course. Genius. 10/10

 

CHINESE CAST RECORDING 2013

Running time: 76 minutes  Tracks: 25  Language: Chinese

An Oriental version, this time in Chinese although I don't know if its Mandarin, Cantonese or any of the many dialects spoken in the People's Republic Of China.  As with many of these Mamma Mia! recordings this is again recorded live in performance and it is a lovely, sharp recording of the show.  We get one enore track too, "Waterloo" in English. 8/10

 

JAPANESE CAST RECORDING 2014 

 Running time: 79 minutes  Tracks: 27  Language: Japanese

And from China we head to Japan,  although again a competent live recording,  and the full show with the three encores songs intact (again "Waterloo" reverts to English).  Its personal preference of course but for me this version lacks a bit of welly. The voices are a bit shouty for my liking, although that could be to do with the technique of the language. The recording also doesn't seem to be as technically as sharp as the Chinese version a year earlier, lacking a bit of substance. 7/10 

 

WARSAW CAST RECORDING 2015

  Running time: 80 minutes  Tracks: 24  Language: Polish

A non-replica production from Poland, and hurrah, we once again have the extended Overture.  Its a studio recording this time and we have the full show and a "Waterloo" encore in local language.  The studio sound is polished and it all sounds great,  apparently more than one actor plays each role in this recording although I can't say I noticed particularly. 8/10

 

 

CZECH BRNO CAST RECORDING 2019 

 Running time: 78 minutes  Tracks: 24  Language: Czech

Having said that I am sticking to the official cast recordings, this fits into that catagory just about. It is a complete live recording of the show songs in the Czech Republic but issued as a 'promotional CD' available only at the theatre, so a crafty way of issuing a cast recording basically.  The difference with this production is that the standard theatre band is augmented by a full orchestra.  It certainly lends the score a different dimension. The recording zips along and the cast are clearly having a lot of fun. No encore songs this time, which is a pitty as I'd like to have heard the full orchestra have a bash at "Waterloo"  A rather unique addition to the Mamma Mia! recordings canon. 8/10

 

And that to date is it my friends. The world's greatest jukebox musical as heard around the globe.  There seems to be no stopping Mamma Mia! or indeed the ABBA related events.  And whilst ABBA Voyage might celebrate the group, the musical is the showcase the songs themselves deserve.  The show has proved unstoppable and currently sits as the fourth largest grossing theatre musical ever.   Lets face it, when you are feeling low and need a lift what are you going to reach for?  Phantom of the Opera? I don't think so!

Rob Henderson-Cope 

 

Review: MISS SAIGON (UK Tour) @ Alexandra, Birmingham

★★★★★ (5 of 5)

Whilst many regard Les Misérables as the pinnacle of the Alain Boublil - Claude-Michel Schönberg writing partnership,  it can be argued that Miss Saigon is at least its equal, and in some quarters it is said it is their best show.  Whatever your stand,  it has filled theatres around the globe since its 1989 debut.  Rob was lucky enough to see the original cast perform at Drury Lane and has paid irregular visits to the show over the years.  Ian has never seen the legend live, so a visit to the new Michael Harrison production (produced in association with Sir Cameron Mackintosh) is a voyage of discovery for us both as we witness a re-birth of a classic.

If there is anyone out there who does not know, the show opens in 1975 in the last days of the Vietnam War where an American marine Chris meets Kim, a 17 year old girl who through tragic circumstance is forced to perform in the sleazy bar 'Dreamland' and compete for the title Miss Saigon.  Its love at first sight for Chris and this attraction is shared by Kim.  However, time is against them, the Americans are ordered to evacuate Saigon, and after the bar girls perform a hurried marriage ceremony for the pair, Chris tries to get a visa for Kim to leave Saigon for America.  Kim's cousin Thuy arrives to whom she has been promised from childhood, now a general with the Viet Cong, he is wanting to take her home and is outraged to find Kim with Chris, an American.  Kim abruptly breaks off any promise to Thuy and he storms out.   Cut to three years later, Chris is married in America to Ellen but what has happened to Kim and what secret does she harbour?

Famously based on the story of opera Madame Butterfly, the score to Miss Saigon soars throughout.  Ranging from the communist anthem 'The Morning Of The Dragon',  to the saxophone driven love duet 'The Last Night Of The World' as Saigon falls to the Viet Cong and the highly emotive 'I'd Give My Life For You'. The lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. find both the nub of the epic world events and also the deeply personal story of Chris and Kim, as their lives are shaped by what is happening in Vietnam. Miss Saigon is an emotional journey, and one which is sadly still relevant in these troubling times we live in.

 

Re-imagining a classic is a tough call. The iconic original production with its helicopter scene stealing moment has gone down in theatre history.  But a musical is more than its set, and thankfully the score and story of Miss Saigon is more than strong enough to take a re-design.  Andrew D. Edwards has created a versatile space that can take us through the horrors of war but also provide those small, introspective moments needed to make this show such a personal journey.  He effortlessly takes us from war torn Vietnam to the seedy environs of Bangkok,  whilst delivering the horrors of war and the growing menace of communism.  We get that helicopter moment,  sure its not as impressive as it once was but it still packs a punch. Bruno Poet's mesmeric lighting adds a lot to the atmosphere on stage, 

At the performance we saw,  Bea Ward - the tours alternate Kim - was performing. Ward posseses an angelic singing voice just right for the innocent Kim as she is thrust by the need to survive into the cess pit of Saigon, she gives the performance of the night and is a worthy successor to legendary original Miss Saigon, Lea Salonga, in the role. Jack Kane's Chris finds all the right beats portraying a soldier haunted by what he has gone through and the need for closure, and his big moment 'Why God Why?' resonates.  Mikko Juan is the villain of the piece in Thuy, the wronged cousin who seeks revenge. Juan offers a powerful study of a man whose traditional values are challenged to the hilt and who ultimately pays the price for his beliefs. The most showy role of them all is of course The Engineer, the fixer with little or no morals when it comes to fleecing the vulnerable and the ultimate survivor. Seann Miley Moore makes him an androgynous snake who slithers around Saigon, pimping girls in the 'Dreamland' bar to American GI's.  He is less likeable in this version than in any other so far seen by us, and that is fine.  Somehow the audience are still on his side, and his "American Dream" sequence is one of the big hits of the night.  

 

A thirteen piece orchestra under the direction of Ben Mark Turner, manage to create that big sound that is such a feature of the cast recordings. It's shivers down the spine time when they are in full flow.  Director Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy has taken the essence of Miss Saigon and given it a new spin without detracting from the elements that made it such a sensation in the first place. Miss Saigon takes us to some dark places of the human soul, but its a journey fuelled by love and hope which only fails at the last hurdle.  Both of us were moved and won over by the performances and staging,  the heat is definitely still on more than three and a half decades from its debut. 

Rob & Ian

Tour information and tickets can be purchased via the Miss Saigon Official Website

Further listening:

 

 

Our recommendation from the many cast recordings of Miss Saigon available is the 1995 symphonic recording using performers from productions around the globe.  With its sumptuous 73 piece orchestra and a hit squad cast of singers, the show has never sounded crisper. 

Review: SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS @ Birmingham Rep

 

★★★ (3 of 5)

Sherlock Holmes is one of those great British folk heroes that defies the decades and indeed centuries alongside such characters as Robin Hood and latterly Doctor Who. He has been the subject of countless movies, television and radio series not to mention the original novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (the first of which appeared in 1887!)  A central pivot in our cultural landscape.  

His stage outings have been numerous too, but this latest interpretation from the pens of Humphrey Ker and David Reed (who indeed don the guises of Holmes and his trusty sidekick Dr. Watson) comes with a twinkle firmly in its eye. 

It appears that there is a murderer on the loose, as performers from the West End of London start dying in mysterious circumstances.  There is only one thing for it,  send for the services of England's greatest detective Sherlock Holmes and his trusty biographer John Watson.  However Sherlock's ability to deduce the most dastardly of crimes is being challenged by a newcomer on the block, Athena Faversham. Consultant detective and maybe a bit smarter than old Sherlock himself!  And so the game is afoot which leads them on a race against time to save future victims that have a connection to the 12 Days Of Christmas. And what of the mysterious agent to whom the clues lead them?

 

The Birmingham Rep has stepped into the Christmas show fray with a gloriously staged homage to Victorian melodrama and music hall.   It is a feast to look at,  designer Mark Bailey has conjured up a world of Victoriana and theatricalia that entice us into the world of Holmes and his contemporaries. The authors Ker and Reed are star turns as the legendary detectives and Ker in particular offers Frankie Howerd-esque asides as the action progresses. They are supported by a fine company of players:  Cameron Johnson chews the scenery as 'Mother Goose' Dame Arthur Stone,  Helena Watson offers some semblance of sanity as up and coming sleuth Athena Faversham,  Susan Harrison is the hilarious all too knowing paper boy Ernie and Margaret Cabourn-Smith offers homely support as Mrs. Hudson.  All the while John Kearns pushes himself nearer to a breakdown as Inspector Lestrade as events go beyond his ability to process. The cast and indeed the five piece band cannot be faulted.

The real problem lies with the script.  Some of it is gloriously silly, and there is even a bit of wit thrown about, but essentially its too messy. The evening struggles to hang together on a series of events which are not linked in any stabilising manner. Seven new songs from the pens of Sir Tim Rice and Baron Andrew Lloyd Webber, whilst serviceable are not likely to be remembered much beyond curtain down (much as their additional material for The Wizard Of Oz more than a decade ago). Lloyd Webber even throws in one of his famous Variations from the hit 1978 album. Some scene trims and in fact, a large amount of re-writing are needed before this show can move forward.  The production does raise laughs, but not enough. With its swear words and bawdy references, I'm not really sure its that family friendly.

 

There is so much to like about this show, but also a sense of missed opportunities and a script that perhaps needs another draft. The Birmingham Rep have a reputation for quality and indeed the production values are first class, but maybe the names of Rice and Lloyd Webber attached to the show (Ker is distantly related to Rice) blinded those involved of the need for further development. Its a case that needs solving.

Rob & Ian 

Production Photos: Pete La May

Tickets can be purchased direct from Birmingham Rep.  The production runs until 18th January 2026. 

 

Feature: DOWN IN DARKEST PERU... THE OTHER PADDINGTON MUSICAL

 

The rush of excitment felt by practically the entire country regarding the arrival of Tom Fletcher's Paddington on the London stage set my mind racing to times past when a different vision of Paddington was seen on UK stages.

This Paddington Bear (in his Magical Musical) was penned by Shirlie Roden, a Welsh born composer and singer who had been carving out a living in the rock world as backing singer to The Kinks and performing with various bands.  Producer Bill Kenwright spotted her potential and commissioned her to write Jeanne, a rock musical about the life of Joan Of Arc, which would come to fruition a few years later.  However, the writing sessions for Jeanne were distracted when Bill asked Shirlie to write a musical for Paddington Bear, the rights to which he had acquired from Paddington's creator Michael Bond.  At the time Bill was having a huge touring success with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Bill wanted the same warm family feel to the new Paddington show.  Thus recording began at Redan Recorders based in Bayswater where an album of the songs was to be recorded ahead of the stage production. Shirlie's ability with pop earmworms resulted in songs that Bill and his team felt were well worth persuing, and such pop luminaries as Carl Wayne and Amii Stewart were among the featured singers on the album.  Paddington Bear's Magical Musical - the album - was released in 1982 as Kenwright began plans to stage Paddington in earnest the following year.  Auditions were held and the cast pulled together from Joseph alumi and the result of some star finds.  Simon Bowman - who would later go to to originate the role of Chris in Miss Saigon - was the Narrator, guiding the audience through the various events of Paddington's arrival in London.  Paddington himself was - as today - a combination of Sue Hodge (later Mimi La Bonque in the hit sitcom 'Allo 'Allo) in the costume and John Townley who both played keyboards and sung Paddington's lines from the orchestra pit. Townley had previously performed the role of Paddington on the record.  

The show took the audience through the adventures of Paddington from being adopted by the Brown family, inventing a new exercise regime 'Bearobics', through discovering snow for the first time, a shopping expedition in Portobello Market,  playing rugby with the Peruvian reserves and the sudden arrival of Aunt Lucy.  It was a pop bonanza with Paddington at its very centre, which audiences lapped up.

The musical toured the length of the UK,  playing all the theatres where Joseph had triumphed, and as with Joseph had an onstage choir of local children added to the touring cast at each venue.  Shirlie's infernally catchy pop songs and the warmth the audience felt towards the little Peruvian bear gained excellent reviews from the local papers in the towns where the production played.  Many to this day recall the songs and write to the composer saying it was a truly memorable show and asking for it to be revived.  The little bear had made a great impression with his first full scale show.

 Shirlie Roden

1984 saw the a revised version of the Paddington songs issued as Paddington Bear's Gold Record (complete with yellow vinyl)  and a series of singles were also released on the back of the success of the stage show. Even the celebrated actor Martin Shaw (known for the television hits The Professionals, Judge John Deed and Inspector George Gently) got in on the act, by recording of a version of Paddington's finale anthem as 'Cross My Heart And Hope To Die'.

Of course the album only contained the core musical pieces which is a shame as the score itself contained many lovely moments which didn't make it to disc. Here is rare a live recording from the 1983 tour of Simon Bowman delivering the opening prologue:

 

 

Back To The Theatre · Paddington Bear's Magical Musical: Prologue

 

 

Over the years Bill Kenwright tried several times to resurrect the show, but complex problems with the rights to the character always proved too great, much to his frustration. For those of us who witnessed Paddington's musical tour of the country, the new show will have big boots to fill.  Paddington Bear's Magical Musical invaded our ears and filled our hearts, never has the little bear sounded finer.  When I eventually sit in the Savoy Theatre willing Tom Fletcher and his cast to triumph, a little part of me will still be with Paddington in 1983 and will never leave me. Cross my paws and hope to die.

Rob Henderson-Cope 

Below you can listen to the entire Paddington Bear's Magical Musical album (© Shirlie Roden 1982)

www.shirlieroden.com