Bonnie Langford has done it all, from playing Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables in the West End to starring on Broadway as Roxie Hart in Chicago. Now, more than 50 years after making her stage debut, the actress, 61, is adding another acclaimed production to her long list of theatre credits: Paddington the Musical.
"You mention Paddington and everyone lights up, so to be involved with something that's so beloved already is fantastic," says Bonnie, speaking backstage at London's Savoy Theatre, where the musical is enjoying a hugely popular run.
Bonnie Langford is starring in Paddington the Musical
The Surrey‑born star, known to many as Mel Bush in the BBC's long‑running sci‑fi series Doctor Who, plays Mrs Bird in the new stage production, which is based on the characters from Michael Bond's books. The story is inspired by the award‑winning 2014 film starring Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins, with Paddington played by two people: Arti Shah in a bear costume, while James Hameed is offstage voicing the character and remote puppeteering his facial expressions.
Although the musical opened only recently, it has already received a royal seal of approval. The Prince of Wales hailed the production as "fantastic" last month after watching the cast perform at this year's Royal Variety Performance.
WATCH: The Princess of Wales reveals her children will be 'very sad' to miss out on Paddington at the Royal Variety Show
Here, Bonnie reveals the biggest lesson she's learnt from her long career, her gratitude to Prince William for supporting the arts and why she's enjoying life in her sixties.
Bonnie alongside Ncuti Gatwa in Doctor WhoThe Doctor (NCUTI GATWA) & Melanie Bush (BONNIE LANGFORD)
Bonnie, tell us about your role as Mrs Bird…
"She was an influential character in the books because she was the anchor of the Brown family. She's a member of an older generation who's watching how everybody copes and she welcomes this new spirit into the family, seeing what a fabulous effect Paddington has on everyone around him.
"Mrs Bird's from Scotland, so I'm having to perfect my Scottish accent."
Prince William visited the set of Doctor Who this year. What do you think of his support for the arts?
"It's amazing. We need it. The trouble is that when life gets tight, people always cut arts funding. So many people learn and cope with life differently; we can't all be numbers people, or academic, so for him to champion the arts – we need it, because if we don't have that, we have no self‑expression. It reduces the quality of your life
"We need to be able to express ourselves in different ways, to enjoy watching, looking, reading, discovering. So to have a wonderful ambassador for the arts is so important. It's deeply connected to all the mental health [awareness‑raising] he does. So thank you, [William], for being a great ambassador."
"I quite liked it. I got my [free] pass for the Tube – I love it! I just take each day as it comes. You celebrate the fact that you're still around and enjoy as much as you can. Sometimes you might want to say, 'Been there, done that, bought the T‑shirt,' but there are times when you think, 'Let me do it.'
"I don't think you should use age as a barrier or as a reason unless you want to. If it gives you some kind of framework to your life, do it. Whatever you want to do, do it anyway when you feel it's right.
"I'm not a birthday person; I don't like being the centre of attention. I don't mind being on stage or on screen because it's work, but I'm a private person and have a small circle of friends. I'm probably too good at being on my own. I've got a little dog now, Poppy – she's my best friend."
What's the biggest lesson you've learnt?
"Everything is a lesson. You never stop learning. The minute you think you know it all, you might as well give up – you never know everything.
"I've always said to young people: 'In this world, let alone this business, you have to be a tortoise; you have to have a hard shell over a soft centre, and that can be hard to navigate. It's important that you have some kind of armour, but don't lose that vulnerability inside.'"
Paddington the Musical is booking at London’s Savoy Theatre until October 2026; thesavoytheatre.com
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