***
There’s something instantly welcoming about Joe’s Pie Diner, the principal setting when the curtain rises on bittersweet touring musical Waitress – and perhaps that’s to be expected. This is an establishment that lives and breathes looking after its regulars, and beyond serving up increasingly inventive pies with increasingly inventive names, it is where all the main plot lines are baked together in this tale of friendship and survival.
At the heart of it all is Jenna Hunterson (Carrie Hope Fletcher), a waitress and expert pie-maker stuck in an abusive marriage with Earl (Mark Willshire). Following the bombshell of an unplanned – and to begin with, very much unwanted – pregnancy, she finds some respite in her friendships with fellow waitresses Becky (Sandra Marvin) and Dawn (Evelyn Hoskins). One thing that keeps her holding on is the perhaps pie-in-the-sky dream of escaping her woes by winning a pie-baking contest in nearby Springfield, and things become more complicated still when she starts an affair with her obstetrician, Dr Pomatter (Dan Partridge).
This tour is, for many, the Carrie Hope Fletcher show, and her fanbase – the most vocal of which seemed to be sitting in all the seats around me – were certainly not disappointed. Her Jenna shifts between frustration and hope, a sliding scale of emotions that come through most clearly in the show-stopping songs. While these are mainly solo moments of brilliance, it also works particularly well in You Matter to Me, the big “leave them wanting more” duet with Partridge’s Dr Pomatter that brings the curtain back down for the interval.
The soul of the show, however, can be found back in the diner. Sandra Marvin’s Becky is direct and sharp with strong comic timing, while Evelyn Hoskins’ Dawn is the counterbalance, awkward and offbeat, especially after the arrival of Mark Anderson’s Ogie, who goes fully into physical comedy mode in Never Ever Getting Rid of Me. Les Dennis, meanwhile, has a star turn as the cantankerous father-like figure of Old Joe.
Dan Partridge and Carrie Hope Fletcher
Production-wise, Diane Paulus’ direction and Scott Pask’s design keep things simple and effective, with seamless shifts as we follow Jenna from workplace to bus stop to doctor’s surgery and back. The diner itself has a timeless feel – this could be 1950s Grease or a 1990s Tarantino movie – a slice of off-the-beaten-track Americana that, much like the rest of the show, avoids dating the production.
Lorin Latarro’s choreography keeps the ensemble scenes moving, using the diner space as a makeshift dancefloor, but what really holds things together is the music. Sara Bareilles’ score is performed live with the band on stage throughout, at times integrated into the action and moving alongside the cast. It’s a real high point, giving the whole thing a sense of energy and immediacy, although at times the balance between volume and clarity was slightly off – the lyrics were barely decipherable in places, drowned out by the music.
Carrie Hope Fletcher and Les Dennis
And that isn’t the only issue with Waitress. Jessie Nelson’s book struggles with some of the darker material in the script, such as Jenna and Earl’s abusive relationship which is seemingly set up for a volcanic finale, only to be quickly tidied up far too easily. The good doctor’s infidelity, meanwhile, is something we’re supposedly expected to cheer on – all while turning a blind eye to the vulnerability of his pregnant patient and his seemingly devoted wife.
But moral murkiness aside, this is still a feelgood musical, not an episode of EastEnders, and as a couple of hours of diverting entertainment it largely delivers. The friendships between the three women in the diner shine through, the music and singing are of an incredibly high standard, and overall it makes for a solid night at the theatre – especially for Carrie Hope Fletcher fans.
Until June 13
