However, although critics heaped praise on the show as a whole, several added a note of scepticism to their reviews.
“All the vulnerability, mischief and innocence that make him so entrancing are here… and even when everything around him seems teetering on the brink of disintegration, he has only to toddle into view to restore your faith,” according to Sam Marlowe of the Stage, external.
“In truth, the material needs more work,” she cautioned. “But whatever the faults of the show, it’s sweeter than a marmalade sandwich, and if the cuddly creation at its heart doesn’t make it a hit, I’ll eat his hat.”
The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish awarded four stars and also noted a couple of drawbacks, writing: “Is this a new classic on a par with Mary Poppins or Matilda? No, it’s a touch threadbare, and a little over-stuffed with songs,” he said.
“But fittingly, it’s still a very welcome addition to the British musical family. ‘Please look after this bear’? Of course we will.”
Meanwhile, the Guardian’s Arifa Akbar added: “The final few scenes feel extraneous and it is slightly over-long, but you would have to be a cynic yourself to find fault in this gorgeous world of bearish adventure.”