I have my American friends to thank for bringing the musical Waitress into my life two years ago. I became obsessed with the Broadway cast recording and very recently saw Adrienne Shelly’s film of the same name that inspired it starring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion, which I adore. Like many of my favourite musicals that start life on Broadway, I had settled for that familiar state of living vicariously through my friends who could travel easily, and performing my one woman version of the cast recording when no one’s around to listen! Imagine my joy then, seeing that the show would be “Opening Up” in the West End…

Waitress follows Jenna Hunterson, an immensely talented pie baker trapped in an abusive marriage to her husband Earl. An encounter with a newcomer to the small town and the opportunity to enter a prestigious contest gives Jenna the chance to find a new recipe for happiness.

This show has made history as one that has a female team in its main creative roles: music and lyrics, direction, book, musical supervision and arrangements and choreography. That’s not to say the men involved in the creative team aren’t talented (on the contrary, there will be a few mentions for them very shortly as I loved their contributions as well), but I wanted to lead with this; as a young woman who both loves the theatre and who is trying to strive towards a career in writing, I cannot stress enough how refreshing this is and how happy it makes me having other women to support in their work, and examples to aspire to!

Diane Paulus’ direction showcases a wonderful lightness of touch: she has a knack for just the right blend of humour and warmth with the darker elements of the story, and I felt these were handled with tact and sensitivity by Jessie Nelson’s book. Sara Bareilles’s score is a blend of country, rock and pop influences, the lyrics witty and incredibly moving by turns: I loved finally hearing the songs I’d come to know so well in context!

Scott Pask’s set is full of personality, all moving parts as we move from the hustle and bustle of Joe’s Diner to Jenna’s apartment and back. It sometimes feels a little too busy, but when coupled with Ken Billington’s lovely bursts of colour in the lighting, the whole effect is slick and charming.

I was curious to see how choreography would work with a show like Waitress as it didn’t strike me as the kind of show that relies on those massive showstopping dance numbers. Lorin Lorrato’s choreography is cleverly integrated as part of, almost an extension of the story- the ensemble mimic the action, lift and spin their way around the stage- it’s beautifully understated. What a treat it was, too, to see the band onstage throughout!

American Idol and Smash star Katharine McPhee makes her West End debut as Jenna, having already played the role on Broadway. I admit I went in with preconceptions about how I expected the character to be played, knowing and enjoying the film as I do. Katharine challenged me to think beyond these, and I’m all the better for it. To me, her Jenna had a grit and tenacity to her from the beginning as if she knew all along what she wanted, but didn’t know how to get it; and it was lovely to sense that, it made her moments of vulnerability more powerful and meaningful. Vocally, she is absolutely stunning: She Used To Be Mine sent chills up my spine and the theatre was so rapt you could have heard a pin drop!

Becky, one of Jenna’s friends and fellow Waitress is brought to sassy, scene stealing life by Marisha Wallace, and I had the pleasure of seeing Olivia Moore’s debut in the role of Dawn, the role usually played by Laura Baldwin. Dawn is my favourite character in the show, she makes me smile and I see so much of myself in her it’s unreal: Dawn is sweet, stubborn and a little neurotic. A bit of a romantic at heart, Dawn is looking for love and eventually signs herself up for online dating. She proceeds to sing her amazing solo number When He Sees Me, where she reels off everything that might go wrong, but actually at its heart she’s scared of what’ll happen if it goes right, because that’s unknown territory! I can relate to this so much as I struggle with my confidence and don’t put myself out there as I should, so I lovingly refer to Dawn as my spirit animal. The humour and sweetness Olivia gave to her was awesome, and I can’t wait to see how her portrayal grows and develops if she has more chances to play the role, and hope to return to see Laura in action very soon.

Though the men are less important in the Waitress recipe, there are some really strong and moving performances, including a hilarious turn from Stephen Leask as diner chef Cal, and a touching gruffness to Shaun Prendergast’s Joe. 30 Rock’s Jack McBrayer revels in the silliness of Ogie, Dawn’s love interest: his comic timing is second to none and I didn’t stop smiling whenever he was onstage. Sure, his vocals aren’t the strongest (I actually thought his second number was much improved in comparison to the first one), the jokes are cheesy and the context of Ogie’s introduction is perhaps a tad creepy, but that’s easily forgotten as Jack throws himself wholeheartedly into it and he played off Olivia wonderfully.

Peter Hannah’s Earl, whilst dark, brooding and thoroughly unlikeable is beautifully subtle and well judged.

David Hunter was my biggest joy to watch as Dr Pomatter, he’s everything I wanted: adorably awkward and so sweet, but I loved seeing him be funny and cheeky as well as I’m not used to seeing him in those kind of roles! His chemistry with Katharine was incredibly palpable, and their duets were definitely my highlights.

To top it off, the pie is heavenly and the theatre smells of cinnamon. When you’ve been waiting for a show as long as I have thinking you’d never see it, that’s everything I need for a new beloved favourite, and I’m planning on going back for many more helpings!

For info & tickets, go to http://www.waitressthemusical.co.uk