She’s been a fixture in the Star Wars galaxy for a decade, and now Arti Shah takes her many talents and brings them to one of the most beloved characters in British literature, Paddington bear. Speaking with Variety, Arti, along with the voice of Paddington James Hameed, discusses bringing the little bear to the stage in Paddington the Musical and the challenges of being in the suit with limited vision, something her Star Wars projects gave her some experience of.
Variety: Arti, you’re in the bear suit, bringing physicality to Paddington. What’s it like in there and how do you stay cool on stage?
Shah: It keeps me nice and warm. I take my job very seriously, and before we started rehearsals I sat in a sauna fully clothed every day for a week, just to mentally prepare myself. The mind is a powerful tool. I wear a lot of padding and then the lovely suit, which makes me stand in a certain way and brings the physicality to life. But I also touch on a form of Method acting, drawing on my own emotions because it’s not just about being the bear, you have to show the emotions. But I’ve had a lot of experience in the film industry working on things like “Star Wars” and “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The heaviest suit I have ever worn was on “Attack the Block,” it was half my body weight and I was running on all fours with arm extensions. I don’t think I would do that now because I’m a lot older, but it’s not as tough as doing that. So, it’s bearable.
Paddington also got to meet someone familiar with the Star Wars galaxy.
Variety: I saw that Paddington got to meet Prince William and Kate Middleton a couple of weeks ago. What was that like?
Shah: Paddington did very well. He minded his manners, he tried to share his marmalade sandwich and he tipped his hat. He was very, very impressed. However, Prince William was trying to ask Paddington a lot of questions as in, “Does he get hot?” I think he was asking me, but Tom Fletcher did really well and said, “Paddington’s from Peru, he’s used to the heat!” I think Paddington was very excited but very calm at the same time. He’s a professional.
