WAITRESS is a stage adaptation, with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles and book by Jessie Nelson, of Adrienne Shelly’s 2007 screen comedy drama. Ten years after its Broadway debut, it now celebrates with a major tour of the UK and Ireland, which opened in Wimbledon in March, and has already played an impressive 20 of its 26 venues.

The show is as American as apple pie, although there is nothing so conventional on the menu in Joe’s Pie Diner, so is the filling sweet or cloying, and does it have a crisp crust or a soggy bottom?

The story tells of Jenna, the star pie maker at Joe’s diner, whose abusive husband holds her trapped in a controlling relationship. He regularly rocks up at her place of work to ensure that she gives him her tips as well as her earnings, and when she accidentally falls pregnant by him he sees it as another opportunity to tie her down further. But Jenna sees a different future, and while her plans to enter a major baking contest fall flat as a failed soufflé, she falls into the lap of her charming gynaecologist, Jim Pomatter. If her hopes of a financially secure future at her own hands fail to materialise, her loyalty leads to a different kind of independence, courtesy of the kindly businessman Old Joe.

As female empowerment stories go, escaping a toxic relationship by being rescued by not one but two knights in shining armour after your own plans go south is perhaps not quite how the story usually goes, but it makes for a bittersweet and entirely charming evening of theatre.

A couple of sub-plots involving the love lives of Jenna’s co-workers Becky and Dawn offer opportunities for some strong character development and a lot of delightful comedy, plus several strong musical numbers for these secondary characters.

On Monday’s press night, the slated leads of Carrie Hope Fletcher and Les Dennis as Jenna and Joe were substituted by Ellie Ruiz Rodriguez and Dan O’Brien, leading to some other bumping of roles, and this goes to show the strength and skill of this touring company. Joe is a pivotal but minor role, but Jenna is very much the star vehicle, and Rodriguez gives an impressively polished performance which was met by a well deserved ovation from Monday’s audience.

Standouts among the supporting cast are Evelyn Hoskins and Mark Anderson as Dawn and her love interest Ogie. This pairing has some great onstage chemistry and lovely humour, and their numbers together raise some of the night’s biggest laughs. Bernadette Bangura gives a powerhouse performance as the feisty Becky, and Dan Partridge as the dashing and incorrigible Doctor Pomatter has great stage presence.

The staging is quite cinematic in its presentation of tableaux-like settings, and Scott Pask’s chameleon of a set brings strong atmosphere without ever calling attention away from the action. Bareilles’ score is performed by a band who appear discretely to the rear of the stage, with occasional in-action cameos from solo musicians. The opening story setting is driven by a rapid fire of musical numbers, in which diction is sometimes blurred by the richness of the sound mix, but vocal clarity improves as the show develops, so perhaps this is due to the show bedding in at a new venue.

As suggested in its opening number ‘What’s inside’, a good balance of ingredients hidden beneath the pastry is the making of a star bake, and so it is with a musical. Waitress looks appealing and is certainly very sweet, but it has some surprising contrasts of flavour that cut through all the sugar. Whilst it might not be the most powerful of emancipation stories, it is brimming with charm and is ultimately a feelgood story propelled by a witty script and foot-tapping score.

Waitress plays at Liverpool Empire until 12th September and then continues its tour, which ends at the Lowry in October.

Star rating: 4 stars
Review by Nigel Smith

The post Review – Waitress (10th Anniversary UK & Ireland Tour) – Empire Theatre, Liverpool appeared first on Good News Liverpool.

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