‘Sugar, butter, flour’ – these three comforting words become almost a mantra meditation in this story about the life of expert pie maker, Jenna.
But don’t let Jenna’s sweet singing, about her mum’s homemade deep-dish pie, fool you into thinking this musical is no more than another saccharine soaked tale.
There is much more to this young waitress from small town USA than meets the eye. And who could be better to take us on this journey for the show’s 10th anniversary production than Carrie Hope Fletcher.
Fletcher is something of a modern-day phenomenon – a top-quality musical actress; a Grammy nominated singer, an author of both adult and children’s books, and (according to the Sunday Times) one of the UK’s top 100 social media influencers. The love for her in the auditorium is tangible and I’ve never seen so many people waiting outside the stage door for autographs as I did after the show on Tuesday night. Whatever part of her multi-faceted career this following is coming from, her sensational performance as Jenna cements her top billing and guarantees she’ll leave the run with an even bigger fan base.
The other recognisable name on the posters is Les Dennis, taking on the role of Old Joe who owns the diner where Jenna works. Dennis in his one big solo number doesn’t even pretend to be a singer yet still manages to make it a showstopper. What he lacks vocally he more than makes up for with his well-honed comic timing and the ability to draw the audience in to the heart of a character and make us care.
There are other acutely drawn performances from Mark Willshire as Jenna’s abusive and self-absorbed husband, Earl; as well as from Sandra Marvin and Evelyn Hoskins as Jenna’s friends and work mates Becky and Dawn.
Now I’ve already warned the ingredients of this musical aren’t all sweet and there is a pile of inappropriate relationships thrown in that will leave you cringing. But on the whole it is an uplifting mix with a sprinking of spice to give it an unexpected and memorable kick.
Waitress is at the Palace Theatre, Manchester from 26-30 May 2026 before carrying on its UK 10th anniversary tour.