Bonnie Langford blasts parents after spotting a child watching an iPad in the audience during her Paddington show

Bonnie Langford has hit out at parents for letting their children watch iPads during her West End show, insisting they should be better 'prepared' for the theatre experience.

The actress is currently playing housekeeper Mrs Bird in the hugely successful musical adaptation of Paddington.

Understandably the musical has drawn in many families, with Bonnie sharing that much of the love for the show comes from 'nostalgia' for the iconic character.

But Bonnie then went on to share her disappointment when she looked out into the audience, only to spot a child watching a tablet.

She said: 'At Paddington the other day there were parents and the kid was watching the iPad. What's the point!?'

'When you bring kids to theatre… the world is very different now to what it used to be and kids don't sit still or quietly anymore so it's exciting when they do. 

'There's no screen between us and them. Something is happening that moment that is never gonna happen again, even though you're repeating the show.'

Speaking on Hannah Lowther's podcast How Very Hannah, she added: 'I just think it's so important that kids are prepared for that. 

'Whoever is bringing that child has to talk them through it. The first instance isn't just talking them outside.'

Paddington: The Musical officially opened in London's West End in December, and it has already received rave reviews from critics.

First impressions were excellent with the Daily Mail's Patrick Marmion praising its 'off-the-scale cuteness' and giving it five stars.

He writes: 'Truly this is a great bear. An Ursa Major, as former BBC astronomer Patrick Moore might have said. Or, as the kids of today might put it, the new Paddington musical is 'bear lit, bro'.

'The eagerly anticipated show, based on Michael Bond's children's books, and drawing on the film starring Hugh Bonneville and Nicole Kidman, looks like a fixture – set to stay at the top of the West End tree for the foreseeable.'

The Telegraph was just as gushing in its four-star review, calling it a 'funny, feel-good sensation that looks set to run and run'.

Their chief theatre critic Dominic Cavendish wrote of the bear himself: 'Children will love him and adults will warm to his restorative sweetness.'

He added that the new theatre show was 'a very welcome addition to the British musical family'.

The Guardian also gave it the highest praise with another five star review, saying it was 'immaculately performed'.

Their reviewer Arifa Akbar glowingly wrote: 'State-of-the-art animatronics, imaginative staging, fabulous performances and some marvellous songs about marmalade make for an evening that will fill you with joy and melt your heart.'

She added in her review that the show will 'likely bring in tourists in their hordes'.

The Independent followed suit and gave it five stars, calling it a 'gloriously eccentric adaptation which transports this furry legend to the stage'.

Their reviewer Alice Saville added: 'A super-realistic bear may be the draw, but this production abounds in warmth, eccentricity and ambition that goes beyond its huggable protagonist.'

The Stage gave it four stars, branding the show 'sweeter than a marmalade sandwich'.

Their reviewer penned: 'Irresistible ursine antics make a hit of this new musical based on Michael Bond's beloved creation.'

Variety also gave it high praise in their review saying the production had a 'beguiling charm'.

In particular they praised Fletcher's music and lyrics, saying: 'his comedy numbers are witty and, seized by the skilled cast, all the laughs land.'

Meanwhile, Time Out gave it four stars, even predicting it could run into a second musical.

They wrote: 'When the maximalism works, it really works. And Paddington (the film) was always somewhat imperfect source material: let it run for a few years then have the same team make Paddington 2 the Musical, I say.'

Paddington, which was first published in 1958, has seen a number of adaptations over the years, including a BBC TV version in 1976, voiced by the late Sir Michael Hordern.

The recent movies, released in 2014, 2017 and 2024, have all skyrocketed at the box office.

The new musical features music from McFly's Fletcher and tells the story of the small bear from Peru as he lands in London where a chance encounter with the Brown family leads to him finding a new home.