Review: WAITRESS, New Wimbledon Theatre (UK Tour)
Sugar, Butter, Flour...
The New Wimbledon Theatre is Waitress' first "Soft Place To Land" as it begins its journey across the UK, and what an incredible beginning for this beautifully directed show, even if it was the case that whenever the cast said "it's warm in here" they weren't lying; any chocolate pies, no matter how well made, would not have lasted a second in the venue with our surprise heatwave.
Our story focuses on Jenna (Lucie Jones), who is trapped in an abusive relationship with her husband Earl (Tamlyn Henderson), this only becomes harder to deal with when she becomes pregnant with his child. The only way she copes is through baking pies, often using recipes as a way to relate each ingredient to a specific aspect of her issues. As dreams of escaping seem harder and harder to reach, Jenna turns to her friends in the diner she works to help her through. But they also have lives of their own to deal with...
As a show, Waitress comes, like one of the many pies in the show, as a whole. Every cast member, musician and creative is an ingredient that works together to bring Sara Bareilles' gentle and floating score and Jessie Nelson's beautifully flowing book to life. And it is when you begin to take slices for yourself that, like Dr. Pomatter, you realise how brilliantly crafted everything is...
Lucie Jones has never been better in this role than on this tour, and her "She Used To Be Mine" is worth the price of admission alone, earning her a mid-show standing ovation. At no point is Lucie visibly acting, she simply *is* Jenna, and you cannot ask for any more than that.
Alongside her, rounding out the three main characters, we have Evelyn Hoskins as Dawn and Sandra Marvin as Becky. The trio have instant, effortless chemistry, and breathe so much life into each role. We all know those relationships you have at your workplace that shouldn't really work, but they're the only people you have. The characterisation from the entire company is brilliant but with Jones, Hoskins and Marvin, they aren't characters, they are real people who just happen to be on a stage.
This is also thanks to Nelson’s excellently grounded book, which is honest and true in its exploration of the wide range of relationships we can all have or experience, from the horribly uncomfortable scenes inside Jenna's home with Earl, to the heartwarming scenes between Ogie (George Crawford) and Dawn. Nelson is able to flow seamlessly between and balance high comedy with heartbreak wonderfully, never leaving you to question why something is happening.
Sara Bareilles’ songs are wonderful, a true delight to listen to and for those of you who know the soundtrack, you will be happy to know that in this production, every cast member finds their own unique version of the songs. The music is heightened by Lorin Latarro's gentle but precise choreography delivered by the ensemble. It is clear that this show has been directed with care by Diane Paulus and even allows for the ensemble to have their own little character moments within the diner, further grounding the production.
We are also massive fans of the fact that Waitress proudly has an all-female creative team onboard. More of this from theatre industry please!!
We cannot recommend this production enough and lucky for you, it's coming to a city near you soon!
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Callum Wallace
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