There are no shortage of Broadway musicals currently gracing the stages of the West End, but the most recent addition is Waitress. It’s one I’d seen already on the Great White Way and I had nothing but good opinions about it there so I was quick to book a ticket to one of the previews, ready to return to the story of a Waitress in a small-time American town trapped in a loveless marriage who finds out she’s pregnant.
The first thing you need to know about this show, is that the entire theatre smells of pie. As soon as you walk through the doors, it is the best smelling theatre you’ve ever been in. Either eat before you go or accept the fact that you’ll be buying one of the little pies in jars that they sell there because there is no third option.
The show itself is identical to the Broadway production. We even borrowed one of the past leading ladies, Katherine McPhee, and she’s an absolute star. She happened to be the Jenna I saw on Broadway and she is definitely one of the reasons that I’m so fond of the show. Her voice soars and every note is perfectly tuned to make you cry as much as possible. So much of the story is about Jenna’s emotionally journey, and she takes you on the trip with her so perfectly. Marisha Wallace and Laura Baldwin, playing Jenna’s two friends, are both incredibly talented and you’ll be just as invested in their stories as in the main plotline. There are a couple of voices in cast that aren’t as strong, but with so many great voices you won’t feel short-changed.
There’s a simplicity to Waitress which is often overlooked. The sets are relatively simple, there’s a very small ensemble who aren’t often on stage, and the costumes are often something you might find in your own wardrobe, but all of these simplicities work to emphasise howrealthe plot feels. It’s a story that could play out anywhere with anybody, and you can’t help but connect with all of the characters. They might not be making decisions you can support, but you understand why they’re making them. If Hamiltonis a spectacle, Waitress is an intimate production, and it’s one you definitely shouldn’t miss.