Being a musical theatre fan has taught me a lot: about myself, other people, life and creativity. One of the most difficult lessons I think it can teach you is how to say goodbye, both to those shows that take a little piece of you when they go, and to ones you ultimately wish you got to know a little better. Waitress was one of the latter for me- though I did see the show on the West End in March 2019 and was thrilled to have done so, that for me was my only visit – I detest my view at the Adelphi as a disabled patron who can’t transfer out of my chair because certain staging decisions can leave you at the mercy of the overhang of the Dress Circle, meaning you only see legs and feet at pivotal emotional songs – (Sweeney Todd with Michael and Imelda, I’m looking at you!) or so help me, I just feel I’m able to connect more meaningfully and intensely if I’m able to see the action from a closer vantage point.
Sometimes though, certain shows can find their way back to you, and if you’re really really lucky, as I was with the UK tour: you’ll get to understand and love the show on a whole raft of sweet new levels: so much so you’ll go back for double helpings!
Waitress is based on the 2007 film of the same name, by Adrienne Shelly and in terms of adaptation I think it’s actually one of my absolute favourites: the sheer level of intricacy (a lot of my favourite lines of dialogue become song lyrics), the characterisation is really striking (albeit with some differences, but I think the changes serve the show well), and all the major plot threads are still intact, but embellished for drama or comedy! At its centre is Jenna Hunterson, an immensely gifted baker working as a waitress in a diner trapped in an abusive marriage to her husband, Earl. When Jenna discovers she is pregnant, an encounter with a newcomer to the town in the form of Dr Jim Pomatter, wise advice from friends and fellow waitresses Becky, Dawn and even the curmudgeonly diner owner Joe, all make Jenna start to question her lot in life, and whether its time to pursue a new recipe for happiness…
Now, if you take a step back and look from a distance, I would say Waitress could be a rather dark choice for a musical: there’s domestic abuse (physical and emotional), two extramarital affairs, a relationship that starts with intense, obsessive behaviour, and overall, characters that make seemingly terrible choices for their own satisfaction. That’s the interesting thing about the show though: it doesn’t shy away from these problematic things and ultimately it’s a show where the characters are trying to find what they want and need in life, making choices and dealing with their consequences, which to me feels really honest and relatable in some ways. The success of the show also comes from the balance of these weighty themes with real warmth and wit so you never lose sight of the fact that at its core: Waitress is a story about courage, friendship and self love, and I understand that complexity so much better now after seeing the tour.
Having seen the show once already, looking back on it I was just very much riding my familiar “I thought I’d never get to see this show” wave and just swept along in the sheer joy of the whole experience and hearing Sara Bareilles’s infectiously fun yet beautifully tender score in the flesh. So much so, I don’t think I truly appreciated certain creative choices. Take the choreography, by Lorin Lotarro: this is one of my favourite elements in the show: the sequences are so slick (especially Jenna’s interludes where she’s inventing new pies!) Speaking of Jenna and the pies, this time around I was properly blown away by watching the songs “What Baking Can Do” and “A Dream Is A Soft Place to Land” especially as I was so mesmerised by how everything she does to make the pies is so precisely timed to music and lyrics: it’s so intricate and gives the whole thing a really intimate and sensitive quality that serves the story so beautifully!
The set design from Scott Pask has translated really well from the West End, with only a few minor changes. I always liked how animated the set feels on this show: there’s lots of moving parts, especially in the diner and I think that’s fun as it reflects how its where Jenna feels at her most free and able to express herself. Though the majority of the action takes place in the diner, we also visit a couple of other locations: Jenna’s home, Dr Pommater’s office and so on. The transitions between scenes and locations are really smooth and effective, and often feel to me like characters in their own right, which is a really fun quality to have in a set. Couple that with Ken Billington’s lighting: pops and washes of really vibrant or more subtle colours and different intensities also give proceedings another element of depth… and the neon in particular never fails to make me smile!
Now, I liked my West End cast a lot, but I’m going to make a bold claim and stick by it: I adore this tour cast and found them all much stronger in terms of chemistries and as a unit.
Chelsea Halfpenny stars as Jenna and I loved every second of her performance: she’s warm and witty and yet vulnerable which is so important for her story arc, and I enjoyed how Jenna subtly comes into her own as the show goes on, because Chelsea’s performance is so beautifully judged and nuanced; and her vocal performance was just as stunning: both times I’ve seen the show her huge ballad “She Used To Be Mine” in particular the audience were so rightly enraptured you could have heard a pin drop.
Having not seen any of his previous stage work, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed Matt Willis as Dr Pomatter: I felt he had a bit more grit and depth to his portrayal that helped me understand the character a lot more, about the way he is and importantly why he is drawn to Jenna; and given their circumstances that’s a really interesting journey to be taken on. The two characters are so important to each other: he teaches Jenna that she is worthy of love, which in turn allows her to realise that she can stand up for herself, and her child. Dr Pomatter admits to Jenna that he “isn’t used to feeling happy”, and that she calms his neurotic tendencies, and it’s great watching both explore those dynamics. That doesn’t excuse their behaviour, but it’s why their chemistry becomes so endearing: Matt and Chelsea play off each other wonderfully and I loved hearing Matt’s lovely rock lilt that came out in his vocal.
Original West End Dr Pomatter David Hunter has since returned to the role and I’d urge everyone to go along and support him: he’s so sweet and charming in the role too!
One of the cool things about seeing a show multiple times is that you may have the chance to see different performers in the roles. I struck gold here: with two different Earl’s and two different Beckys!
I adored Tamyln Henderson’s take on Earl – he’s probably the one character in the show that is distinctively “black and white” rather than the shades of grey that I feel everyone else inhabits. He’s, putting it politely: a nasty piece of work, but it’s so fun watching Tamlyn play that extreme: he’s incredibly charismatic and intense but can tap into that in really quiet, subtle ways. The second time I saw the show in Birmingham, Earl was played by Nathanael Landskroner and I found his take on the role to be a lot more… overtly dislikeable than Tamlyn’s, but what can I say? I love to sit there hating the villain, and both of them had that expertly covered!
I ticked off one of my “Dream Castings” seeing Sandra Marvin as Becky on the Bristol leg of the tour, and revelled in the sass and powerhouse vocal she brings to the role. Wendy Mae Brown has succeeded her in the part and is equally fabulous – she’s especially great at Becky’s dry wit and her comic timing is amazing. I believe when we saw Wendy in Birmingham she had only been playing the role a short time and I can only imagine how much more confident and brilliant she’ll have become by now.
I was a sucker for my original Ogie Jack McBrayer whose comedic gifts definitely made up for him not having the best vocals. But George Crawford has taken my love for the character to new heights: he is phenomenal in the role: he never misses a beat and the laughter was so riotous on my part that there were tears and my sides hurt!
On record, Dawn is my favourite character in the show: I call her my spirit animal and see so much of myself in her. That love has only increased a thousand fold thanks to Evelyn Hoskins, who I thought was absolutely pitch perfect in the role, and I’m so grateful to have finally seen her live! I know I connected with her take on the character so meaningfully because her solo number: “When He Sees Me” moved me to tears. Her chemistry with George is so palpable and endearing (though questionably should it be?) and a joy from beginning to end!
It’s always amazing to revisit a show you enjoy as very often you can find new things to love & connect with, and I definitely did with Waitress. In Bristol I ate a massive slice of “crikey I missed this show and loved it even more than in London” pie, and then in Birmingham I realised a show is even sweeter when shared with a bestie… more please!
Wheelie Stagey 