RJ Paddington the Musical

Paddington the Musical premiered in December at London’s Savoy Theatre in a vibrant, fast-paced production that appeals to audiences of all ages. The show is a co-production by Sonia Friedman Productions, STUDIOCANAL and Eliza Lumley Productions for Universal Music UK, with music and lyrics by Tom Fletcher, a book by Jessica Swale and direction by Luke Sheppard. Its imaginative storytelling, constantly shifting scenes and compact sets presented both creative opportunities and technical challenges for the lighting design.

Award-winning lighting designer Neil Austin selected Robert Juliat’s SpotMe tracking system, combined with Aramis followspots and the LightStrike software, to deliver smooth, precise and highly expressive lighting. SpotMe allows automated fixtures to be controlled by real followspot operators, blending human intuition with advanced tracking technology and expanding creative possibilities within the intimate Savoy Theatre.

The system enabled refined sculptural lighting effects, improved realism—particularly in highlighting Paddington’s character—and flexible programming for multiple performers of different heights. Chosen for both its artistic advantages and cost-effectiveness, SpotMe required minimal programming resources while significantly enhancing the visual depth of the production.

Supplied by White Light and supported by Live Technology, Robert Juliat’s SpotMe system proved to be a powerful and reliable solution, reinforcing the value of human-operated followspots in modern musical theatre lighting.