Paddington Bear

It would be wonderful to say that Paddington Bear was part of my childhood but it just wouldn’t be true. Rupert Bear was my bear, but I do realise that there will be many adult fans in the audience for whom Paddington is a dear old friend. I hope I can do him justice.

The script won me over within the first few pages. In this cold winter it has the comfy feeling of your favourite jumper and, as RTG members had voted for a family-friendly show as a change from our usual panto, Paddington seemed to fit the brief.

The Paddington stories are over 50 years old. They were written at a time when it was possible to leave your front door open without fearing for your safety. There are no villains in this play - Mr Curry comes closest but he’s more of a grumbling nuisance than a baddie. The stories pay tribute to the British virtues of tolerance and generosity. Witness how easily the Browns give this homeless creature a place to stay and how quickly they accept him as part of the family. In children’s literature you can do beautiful stuff like that!

Working with original songs proved a real challenge. Sheet music was available but the publishers are really missing a trick by not providing a backing-track CD. We had some success thanks to e-bay. Read Paddington to your children. I wish my Mum and Dad had read him to me. As his label says, “Please look after this bear”, - he’s a national treasure.

CAST LIST

Narrator                                  Lindsey Parr
Henry Brown                            Richard Turner
Mary Brown                            Mandy Buckley
Paddington Bear                       Lucas Wilcock
Trolley Lady / Nurse Kay            Sue Bishton
Judy Brown                             Rhianna Liddy
Mrs Bird                                 Chris Breach
Johnathan Brown                     Harry Clarke
Mr Curry                               Matt Womble
Mr Gruber                             Terry Cox
Miss Block / Launderette Lady Ann-Marie Butler
Miranda Scrape RA                  Coreen Brookes
Sir Archibald                         Mark Breach

Did you know that:

Mrs Janet Keiller made marmalade for the first time in Dundee in 1797 when her husband bought a cargo of oranges that were going cheap, after a Spanish ship had been forced into the harbour in a storm. So it is not surprising that marmalade features in a number of Scottish recipes.

It is widely accepted that the term "marmalade" is derived from the Portuguese term for preserved quince, or marmelo. Marmalade became the general term for citrus preserves, usually from the Mediterranean countries.

Marmalade was an excellent way of providing vitamins when fresh fruit was not available and the British used it to help prevent scurvy and other illnesses on board merchant vessels and Men of War.

Marmalade has been considered to be an Aphrodisiac. During her short rein in the 16th century it was gifted to Queen Mary in the hope that it would help her have a son. It didn't, and she died young in 1558.

Marmalade was once thought to enhance certain hallucinogenic drugs through its pectin content, in fact it is rumoured that Sherlock Holmes regularly eat marmalade on toast with prawns - this was his "brain food".