4 – 8 August
Waitress arrives in Bristol as part of a 10th anniversary national tour. Working in Joe’s Diner, Carrie Hope Fletcher as talented pie maker Jenna loves making pies, enjoys chatting with customers, has supportive workmates (Sandra Marvin as Becky and Evelyn Hoskins as Dawn), but she has a problem.
It is not caused by the set which portrays the stereotypical glitzy, sugar-sweet American diner of a thousand movies, with spotless booths, hot coffee permanently on the hob, and shiny chrome fittings. So where is the drama?
Well for a start Jenna is married to boorish, abusive Earl, played by Mark Willshere who clearly doesn’t treat her the way he should. And Jenna is pregnant.
Hoping for a better future seems like a pipe dream. But suddenly the awkward but charming Dr Pomatter (Dan Partridge) appears on the scene and is wowed not only by Jenna herself but her appealing baked offerings. There might be a wildly optimistic way out, with fruity, piping hot sex thrown in as the cherry on top.
What could easily be played as a piece of honied whimsy with a slightly harder edge occasionally digs a bit deeper beneath the crust, but never enough to leave a nasty taste in the mouth.
The choreography by Lorin Latarro provides delicious sifting and lifting while Diane Paulus’s direction is creamy smooth. The transitions snap into action quicker than a rising souffle. Some songs worked better than others, not because they are not sung well, but there were too many which did not quite hit home.
Les Dennis as curmudgeonly owner, Joe, offers light relief while the ensemble does an excellent job filling in the supporting roles.
The proof of the pudding in musical theatre lies with the performers themselves and they were universally good enough for a second helping. Carrie Hope Fletcher’s performance oozed class and warmth tinged with sadness while her singing, especially of ‘She Used To Be Mine’ and ‘What Can Baking Do’ was delicious.
Sandra Marvin’s comic timing and powerful singing voice and presence beat zest into the show alongside Hoskins’ ditzy Dawn, and Dan O’Brien’s exasperated but forgiving manager Cal. However, it was Mark Anderson’s portrayal of Ogie that threatened to steal the show and run away with the mixing spoon. His gawky, geeky persona along with his bizarre spontaneous poetry drew rapturous applause at every appearance.
The story line owes much to the writer and director of the original film, Adrienne Shelly, who conceived it while pregnant with her daughter for whom she wrote it as a love letter. Resisting the temptation to over sugar the pudding with a side story that popped up was a wise move and the ending had the audience sighing with satisfaction.
★★★★☆ Bryan J Mason, 5 August 2026
