London’s biggest new musical star is just over a metre tall

Eliza Lumley​, one of the show's producers, said that Paddington was more magical than any description of how he came into being. 'You’ve got to see it to experience it,' she said. Photos: Kalpesh Lathigra/The New York Times

On a recent night at the Savoy Theatre in London, the 1,100-capacity audience burst into applause when a crowd of actors rushed into the wings, leaving a tiny figure alone onstage.

It was a 1.2-metre-tall bear from Peru with a sign around his neck asking someone to “please look after” him.