Step aside Paddington: Hercules The Bear is back, the beloved ursine who charmed the world in the 70s and 80s with his Scottish wrestler owner, the late Andy Robin. Born into captivity in 1975, Hercules was due to be put down if a home wasn’t found, so Robin purchased him to be part of his act. When ready to leave his mother, Hercules moved in with Robin and his wife Maggie in Sheriffmuir, near Dunblane, where they lived together for 25 happy years.

Now the bear’s adventures have been turned into a new play from theatre company Tenterhooks, touring across Scotland in September and October. Director Fergus Dunnet and his team are bringing the animal legend to life and Hercules’ adoptive mum is delighted her furry friend is being restored to centre stage in the public consciousness. ‘It really does feel like Hercules has been reborn with this new production, which is very exciting for me personally,’ says Maggie. ‘Fergus phoned me up and told me he was doing this play and explained what it was going to be like. I felt nervous about it at first, but as soon as I met him, I knew straight away that he got it. He got our story.’

In his heyday, Hercules was a global celebrity who got up to multiple adventures around the world, from appearing as a mascot for a basketball team to opening the Hong Kong stock market: he even had an acting role opposite Roger Moore in the James Bond film Octopussy (‘the worst one’, Maggie says). Such improbable escapades probably wouldn’t happen today due to current health and safety restrictions, but Maggie is proud of what they all did together: ‘Animals are god’s creatures, I’ve no time for anyone who could hurt one.’ 

But how exactly do you bring a great big creature like Hercules The Bear to life on stage in 2025? ‘They’re using puppetry,’ explains Maggie. ‘It’s the same guy who created the onstage horses in War Horse, and what was nice for me was, the crew operating the puppet would ask me, “what would Hercules do in this situation?” There are three different puppets used for different ages in Hercules’ life, and I was able to work with them and help them understand what interactions with a bear are actually like. It’s funny and poignant. And the theatre crew really carry it off so well.’

On the appeal of the much-loved bear and his human family, Maggie feels there was something unique about the relationship between Hercules and Andy, a combination which charmed audiences from all backgrounds. ‘It all started when Andy paid £50 for Hercules, way back when he was still in his mummy’s tummy; we were all waiting for him to be born.’ She believes Hercules had a nature which led him towards company. ‘Male bears are generally solitary, but Hercules was one of our family; he was a real softy who loved to wrestle, roll around and play. Of course, he famously got lost at one point and we couldn’t find him for several weeks. Once we got him back home, he always seemed to feel much more safe. For Herc to be away from us was a real trauma for him; he seemed to be agoraphobic after that.’ 

As Tenterhooks’ production of Hercules The Bear hits the stage, Maggie is looking forward to seeing that connection between Hercules and his humans evoked through the magic of live theatre. ‘It’s a unique story, a one-off. You have to remember, Hercules wasn’t part of some production line of bears; he was our boy, our first in our family. People appreciate how much we loved him and how much he loved us,’ she says. ‘It’s a story about kindness, and about how animals can bring out the best in people. There’s a generation who have only ever seen clips of Hercules on YouTube, so I’m hoping this play will bring the legend of Hercules alive for a new audience.’

Find Hercules The Bear's Scottish tour details on the official site.