Waitress has set up shop at the Edinburgh Playhouse this week, delivering sweetness, comedy, heart and drama. Playing Scotland’s Broadway until Saturday 16th May.
The story follows Jenna, a waitress at a pie diner in an American small town. Her specialism is making heavenly pies, which also acts as escapism to the world surrounding her. With unexpected news hitting hard, and her abusive husband being more present than ever, she confides in her friends and her new Doctor in the hope of a better life.
Carrie Hope Fletcher leads this cast as Jenna, and honestly, this could be her finest portrayal to date. Carrie strips away any excessive theatrics and brings us a nuanced portrayal of a woman keeping it together. Furthermore Carrie’s voice really suits the country tones of Sara Bareilles’ music and makes it sound effortless when truly punching out the gorgeous riffs and belts. The most notable moment of the whole production is Carrie’s performance of She Used To Be Mine, which genuinely felt like the audience was going to erupt into a standing ovation for a moment, a truly stunning performance. Carrie has brought a really well-crafted portrayal that the audience adores; this is undoubtedly champagne casting for this 10th Anniversary tour.
Accompanying Carrie on stage are Sandra Marvin as Becky and Evelyn Hoskins as Dawn. Sandra’s maternal presence is reassuring, but what really sells the performance is her golden delivery of the one-liners and the warm humour she brings to Becky effortlessly. Evelyn Hoskins’ exuberance and quirky nature as Dawn has the audience captivated from the get-go, as she leans harder into the absurdity as the narrative proceeds, the audience can’t help but be in hysterics. Especially when she is partnered with Mark Anderson’s riotous Ogie, who is arguably the most outrageous character in the show. Sandra and Evelyn also supply simply sublime vocals throughout the production; you can’t help but be hooked instantly with the three performers nailing the stunning harmonies within ‘Opening Up’.
Whilst you might expect these three amazing ladies to steal the limelight in every scene they feature, the leading men in this production also nail their respective performances and give them a run for their money. Dan Partridge, for instance, not only brings a soothing and powerful singing voice to Dr Pomatter, but also a hilarious nerdy persona, which also has a lot of heart. Mark Willshire brings the contrast to Dan’s Pomatter with Earl. Mark brings sinister sleaze and control to the forefront of Earl, one that easily makes the audience hate him (as intended). Dan O’Brien’s Cal is strait laced, but seeing him under pressure brings the light and humour expected from a chef in a diner. Finally, Les Dennis as Joe is a tonic, with his OCD nature yet clear kindheartedness, so much so that you can’t help but shed a tear towards the end of the show.
This production features a strong ensemble who take on multiple roles and deliver incredible vocals, adding to this already fabulous sounding production. The ensemble are as follows – Will Arundell (Swing), Yochabel Asante, Alice Croft, Jamie Doncaster (Assistant Dance Captain), Daniel George-Wright, Bayley Hart (Swing), Emma Lucia, Will Hardy (Swing), Olivia Lallo (Swing/Dance Captain), David Mairs-McKenzie and Ellie Ruiz Rodrogiez (Nurse Norma).
Waitress The Musical was a massive hit when it first debuted on stages ten years ago, and now in its most recent tour, it still boasts the same creative team. With a book written by Jessie Nelson, Direction by Diane Paulus, choreography by Lorin Latarro and of course Music & Lyrics from Sara Bareilles – this team’s vision of choosing a unique narrative in the form of taking Adrienne Shelly’s motion picture for a screen-to-stage adaptation, and turning it into an unexpected musical phenomenon. As this is my first viewing of Waitress, I think it’s fair to say that I really enjoyed how this show has taken on an entity of it’s own and it’s clear that the narrative lends itself to the medium of musical theatre. Sara Bareilles’ original music is unlike anything you’ll hear from any other show on the West End or Broadway; it perfectly fits the setting of a small town in the American South. The only criticism I have about the show is that the narrative did stagnate a little bit towards the end of act one and then there was moments where the audience had whiplash , from big moments being too quick. All in all however, this is a great crafted bit of theatre.
It’s also a great-looking show, with Scott Pask’s set design, literally placing a diner on stage, complemented by Mary Halliday’s intricate props, which genuinely look like real pies! Bringing the brightness and focus is Ken Billington’s lighting, which never goes over the top and frames the action perfectly.
Waitress The Musical is a heavenly slice of theatre pie, which brings a story filled with heart, and an incredibly talented Carrie Hope Fletcher, in one of her strongest portrayals to date.
Get your tickets for the UK Tour of Waitress The Musical here – https://waitressthemusical.co.uk/#tour-dates
Theatre Scotland 
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