WAITRESS
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
Wednesday 17 June - 20 June 2026
✭✭✭✭✭ 5/5
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
Wednesday 17 June - 20 June 2026
Waitress is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this year. The musical premiered at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on Broadway in April 2016 and has been playing to captivated audiences ever since.
Waitress has now stopped off on its UK tour at Southend's Cliffs Pavilion and is starring Carrie Hope Fletcher (Calamity Jane, Heathers, The Addams Family) in the leading role of Jenna.
On the surface, the premise of the musical, Waitress, may seem a little grim. A woman whose marriage is desperately unhappy, who works in a diner and bakes pies every day may not seem the ideal recipe for a hit musical. Likewise, a lot of the subject matter may feel a little uncomfortable for some, and there's an advisory age limit of 13 yrs, due to the adult themes and language that are raised in the show.
However, that said, the characters within this story will be easy to resonate with for some with their real and true to life day to day issues. Inside the four walls of Joe’s Diner, Jenna is coping with an unhappy marriage having to deal with a bully of a husband, Becky looks after a dependent spouse and Dawn is still searching for her ideal man - all three waitresses rally round to give each other support. There's a familiarity about it in as much as we never really know the secret struggles that go on behind closed doors for the every day people that we come into contact with; but, when you dig a little deeper and discover each character's back-story, you realise that everyday life can bring to the surface wonderful drama. Add to the mix a fabulous score and lyrics and you can absolutely appreciate just why Waitress is such a big hit.
Written by Jessie Nelson and with music and lyrics from Sara Bareilles, Waitress tells the story of Jenna, an expert pie maker in a small town, who dreams of a way out of her loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town’s new doctor may offer her a chance at a new life, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes to happiness.
There’s some poignancy behind the show that really has an everlasting resonance in that the success of Waitress was, in fact, born out of tragedy. The 2007 film on which the show is based was written and directed by Adrienne Shelly. Sadly, the 40 year old actress never got to see the fruits of her labour as she was killed by a construction worker in her Manhattan office, leaving her husband, Andy Ostroy, to bring up their then, 2 year old daughter.
With all the above in mind, you may think that this show would be somewhat depressing, however, this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are lots of laughs to be had from these brilliantly written characters.
Carrie Hope Fletcher is perfect as Jenna in this vocally challenging role and truly endears giving an impressive performance. Taking on a role like this isn’t just a case of performing the songs and learning the lines; in this show the choreography of pie making with its split second timing of Jenna pouring flour, sugar, milk and butter while belting out a song is a vision of wonderment and along with the fabulous ensemble this is something that is a constant source of amazement throughout the show with props being thrown and caught combined with some great physicality.
This production boasts a strong cast and alongside Carrie Hope Fletcher are fellow waitresses, Sandra Marvin and Evie Hoskins in the guises of Becky and Dawn, who both have their own underlying journeys and play them out to perfection. Becky, all strong and sassy belying the fact that she has to go home to a husband who is completely dependent on her and Evie, the quirky geek gal who is looking for love. The camaraderie of the three is heart warming and whenever they share a song, their vocal harmonies blend beautifully.
The pie shop banter is delightful and Dan O’Brien as Cal delivers some wonderfully understated humour to the role. Last seen at the Cliffs Pavilion in Kinky Boots, Dan Partridge, as the dishy but socially awkward doctor that Jenna falls for, also does a nice job here. You Matter To Me is lovely duet from the pair.
In what is possibly the best role written for a non leading character, Mark Anderson gets to flex every comedic, geeky, bone in the role of Ogie, perhaps bringing some of the biggest laughs to the Southend audience on opening night.
Les Dennis slots in nicely as the grumpy owner of the diner, who secretly has heart of gold. Interestingly, the last time we saw Les Dennis and Carrie Hope Fletcher on stage together at the Cliffs Pavilion, was in the Addams Family. A nice reunion for the pair. It was also lovely to see the talented Emma Lucia back on the Cliffs’ stage, who we last saw playing Girl in Once the Musical so brilliantly.
Mark Willshire has the unforgiving role of Jenna’s husband Earl and it’s always testament to how good a villain of the piece they are from the loudness of the boo’s on the curtain call. Needless to say, Willshire got his fair share.
The pinnacle moment of the night comes when Jenna sings, She Used to be Mine and Carrie Hope Fletcher certainly had the audience under her spell with her emotionally goose-bumping rendition, which really packed a punch with the audience - I definitely witnessed tears. I also loved how the scenery transitioned at the end of this number from the smallness of Jenna’s home, pulling back to the wide expanse of her hometown.
Waitress is a brave and empowering musical that celebrates the power of friendship, motherhood and the fact that you should never be afraid to seek new beginnings. It has all the ingredients for a great night out and perhaps a nice slice of post show pie after the final bows!
Review: Kim Tobin
Waitress has now stopped off on its UK tour at Southend's Cliffs Pavilion and is starring Carrie Hope Fletcher (Calamity Jane, Heathers, The Addams Family) in the leading role of Jenna.
On the surface, the premise of the musical, Waitress, may seem a little grim. A woman whose marriage is desperately unhappy, who works in a diner and bakes pies every day may not seem the ideal recipe for a hit musical. Likewise, a lot of the subject matter may feel a little uncomfortable for some, and there's an advisory age limit of 13 yrs, due to the adult themes and language that are raised in the show.
However, that said, the characters within this story will be easy to resonate with for some with their real and true to life day to day issues. Inside the four walls of Joe’s Diner, Jenna is coping with an unhappy marriage having to deal with a bully of a husband, Becky looks after a dependent spouse and Dawn is still searching for her ideal man - all three waitresses rally round to give each other support. There's a familiarity about it in as much as we never really know the secret struggles that go on behind closed doors for the every day people that we come into contact with; but, when you dig a little deeper and discover each character's back-story, you realise that everyday life can bring to the surface wonderful drama. Add to the mix a fabulous score and lyrics and you can absolutely appreciate just why Waitress is such a big hit.
Written by Jessie Nelson and with music and lyrics from Sara Bareilles, Waitress tells the story of Jenna, an expert pie maker in a small town, who dreams of a way out of her loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town’s new doctor may offer her a chance at a new life, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes to happiness.
There’s some poignancy behind the show that really has an everlasting resonance in that the success of Waitress was, in fact, born out of tragedy. The 2007 film on which the show is based was written and directed by Adrienne Shelly. Sadly, the 40 year old actress never got to see the fruits of her labour as she was killed by a construction worker in her Manhattan office, leaving her husband, Andy Ostroy, to bring up their then, 2 year old daughter.
With all the above in mind, you may think that this show would be somewhat depressing, however, this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are lots of laughs to be had from these brilliantly written characters.
Carrie Hope Fletcher is perfect as Jenna in this vocally challenging role and truly endears giving an impressive performance. Taking on a role like this isn’t just a case of performing the songs and learning the lines; in this show the choreography of pie making with its split second timing of Jenna pouring flour, sugar, milk and butter while belting out a song is a vision of wonderment and along with the fabulous ensemble this is something that is a constant source of amazement throughout the show with props being thrown and caught combined with some great physicality.
This production boasts a strong cast and alongside Carrie Hope Fletcher are fellow waitresses, Sandra Marvin and Evie Hoskins in the guises of Becky and Dawn, who both have their own underlying journeys and play them out to perfection. Becky, all strong and sassy belying the fact that she has to go home to a husband who is completely dependent on her and Evie, the quirky geek gal who is looking for love. The camaraderie of the three is heart warming and whenever they share a song, their vocal harmonies blend beautifully.
The pie shop banter is delightful and Dan O’Brien as Cal delivers some wonderfully understated humour to the role. Last seen at the Cliffs Pavilion in Kinky Boots, Dan Partridge, as the dishy but socially awkward doctor that Jenna falls for, also does a nice job here. You Matter To Me is lovely duet from the pair.
In what is possibly the best role written for a non leading character, Mark Anderson gets to flex every comedic, geeky, bone in the role of Ogie, perhaps bringing some of the biggest laughs to the Southend audience on opening night.
Les Dennis slots in nicely as the grumpy owner of the diner, who secretly has heart of gold. Interestingly, the last time we saw Les Dennis and Carrie Hope Fletcher on stage together at the Cliffs Pavilion, was in the Addams Family. A nice reunion for the pair. It was also lovely to see the talented Emma Lucia back on the Cliffs’ stage, who we last saw playing Girl in Once the Musical so brilliantly.
Mark Willshire has the unforgiving role of Jenna’s husband Earl and it’s always testament to how good a villain of the piece they are from the loudness of the boo’s on the curtain call. Needless to say, Willshire got his fair share.
The pinnacle moment of the night comes when Jenna sings, She Used to be Mine and Carrie Hope Fletcher certainly had the audience under her spell with her emotionally goose-bumping rendition, which really packed a punch with the audience - I definitely witnessed tears. I also loved how the scenery transitioned at the end of this number from the smallness of Jenna’s home, pulling back to the wide expanse of her hometown.
Waitress is a brave and empowering musical that celebrates the power of friendship, motherhood and the fact that you should never be afraid to seek new beginnings. It has all the ingredients for a great night out and perhaps a nice slice of post show pie after the final bows!
Review: Kim Tobin
“Treat yourself to a slice of five-star musical pie” (The Times) with Carrie Hope Fletcher (Calamity Jane, Heathers, The Addams Family) as Jenna and Les Dennis as Old Joe for 1 week only!
Meet Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of some happiness in her life. When a hot new doctor arrives in town, life gets complicated. With the support of her workmates Becky and Dawn, Jenna overcomes the challenges she faces and finds that laughter, love and friendship can provide the perfect recipe for happiness.
Brought to life by a ground-breaking, female-led creative team, this “warm, witty, wise and hilarious” (EXPRESS) hit features “one of the best scores in years” (THE STAGE) by the Grammy award-winning Sara Bareilles (Love Song, Brave), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and direction by Tony® Award-winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Finding Neverland). Running time: 2 hrs 35 min inc interval Having received standing ovations night after night in London’s West End and on Broadway, Waitress is “the real deal” (INDEPENDENT) musical comedy “made from the finest ingredients” (TIME OUT).
Book now and get your tickets to this “joyously life-affirming celebration of love and friendship” (EXPRESS).
Meet Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of some happiness in her life. When a hot new doctor arrives in town, life gets complicated. With the support of her workmates Becky and Dawn, Jenna overcomes the challenges she faces and finds that laughter, love and friendship can provide the perfect recipe for happiness.
Brought to life by a ground-breaking, female-led creative team, this “warm, witty, wise and hilarious” (EXPRESS) hit features “one of the best scores in years” (THE STAGE) by the Grammy award-winning Sara Bareilles (Love Song, Brave), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and direction by Tony® Award-winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Finding Neverland). Running time: 2 hrs 35 min inc interval Having received standing ovations night after night in London’s West End and on Broadway, Waitress is “the real deal” (INDEPENDENT) musical comedy “made from the finest ingredients” (TIME OUT).
Book now and get your tickets to this “joyously life-affirming celebration of love and friendship” (EXPRESS).