SuzzisSpotlight

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Edinburgh Playhouse

“This production is warm, funny, heartbreaking and uplifting — perfectly baked into a musical pie that stays with you long after the curtain falls.”

Waitress returns to the UK to celebrate its 10th anniversary, bringing its latest tour to the Edinburgh Playhouse — and it arrives with all the warmth, humour and heart that have made it a modern musical favourite. With music and lyrics by Grammy Award® winner Sara Bareilles, a book by Jessie Nelson, and original direction by Tony Award® winner Diane Paulus, this production feels both familiar and freshly baked.

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🍰 What’s it about?

Based on the 2007 film, the musical follows Jenna, a waitress and expert pie‑maker who dreams of a life beyond the one she’s trapped in. With the support of her friends Becky and Dawn, Jenna navigates love, heartbreak, and the courage to start again — discovering that sometimes the perfect recipe for happiness is found in the people around you.

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🎭 Performances

This cast is a dream.

Carrie Hope Fletcher delivers a career‑defining performance as Jenna. She is warm, grounded and emotionally fearless, pouring truth into every moment. Her vocals are powerful and gut‑punching, carrying the weight of Jenna’s story with honesty and heart. Watching her in this role feels full‑circle — she has grown so much as a performer, and this Jenna feels lived‑in, tender and beautifully human.

Dan Partridge is utterly charming as Dr. Pomatter. Awkward, lovable and effortlessly funny, he brings a sweetness to the role that makes his chemistry with Carrie sparkle.

Mark Anderson steals every scene as Ogie. His energy is infectious, his comic timing razor‑sharp, and his commitment to the character is 1000% from the moment he steps on stage. His partnership with Evelyn Hoskins’ Dawn is quirky heaven — adorable, off‑beat and irresistibly joyful.

Sandra Marvin brings powerhouse vocals and warmth as Becky, while Les Dennis offers a gentle, heartfelt Old Joe that grounds the show’s emotional core.

The ensemble shine throughout, with choreography that’s clever, tight and visually striking — especially the brilliantly executed “contraction ballet”, which had the audience completely locked in.

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🎬 Staging & Direction

The staging remains true to the show’s signature style: intimate, fluid and full of heart. The movement of the ensemble around Jenna’s world feels seamless, and the choreography adds humour and emotional texture in all the right places.

One noticeable change is the absence of the Lulu scene at the end — something only long‑time fans will clock, but it does slightly shift the emotional rhythm of the finale.

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🥧 Final Thoughts

Waitress is funny, heartbreaking and uplifting, perfectly baked into a musical pie that leaves you smiling, moved, and completely invested in Jenna’s journey. This anniversary tour honours everything fans love about the show while giving space for its cast to shine in new and meaningful ways.

It’s a story about resilience, friendship and finding the courage to rewrite your own recipe — served with warmth, humour and a whole lot of heart.

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🥧⭐ verdict

Waitress is a show that reaches straight for the heart. Led by a beautifully honest performance from Carrie Hope Fletcher, this anniversary tour captures the sweetness, the ache and the quiet hope at the centre of Jenna’s story. It’s a reminder of how powerful theatre can be when it’s filled with truth, warmth and characters you can’t help but root for — a slice of musical comfort that stays with you long after you leave the theatre.

★★★★★

Written by Suzzi Hirst