London’s smash hit musical comedy, Waitress has arrived at the Donald Gordon Theatre in the Wales Millenium Centre.
The musical was brought to life by an all-female creative team, directed by Tony Award winner, Diane Paulus, written by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson and featuring music and lyrics by the Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, Sara Bareilles.
The UK and Ireland tour is presented by Barry and Fran Weissler and David Ian.
Waitress is based on the 2007 movie written by Adrienne Shelley and tells the story of Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker.
Playing the lead role of Jenna is TV and theatre star Chelsea Halfpenny, who has been in BBC’s Casualty, ITV’s Emmerdale and the hit musical 9-5.
We watch as Jenna, who is in a loveless marriage, dreams of happiness in her life. When a hot new doctor arrives in town and with a baking competition in a different county, Jenna starts to see a glimpse of what her future could look like.
Workmates Becky (Wendy Mae Brown) and Dawn (Evelyn Hoskins), help Jenna to overcome the challenges she faces and share their own recipes for happiness.
David Hunter plays the charming Dr Pomatter and shares believable chemistry with Chelsea Halfpenny. The couple’s duet You Matter to Me was executed beautifully and the pair’s vocals really complemented each other.
A standout moment was Halfpenny’s performance of She Used to Be Mine. It was perfectly delivered, emotionally raw and she showed vulnerability with underlying strength.
The set was designed by Scott Pask and is almost identical to the West End production. It sets the scene perfectly from the all-American ‘Joe’s Pie Diner’ to the home of Jenna and her husband, Earl, and the transitions were executed seamlessly.
Waitress is a musical romantic-comedy and will have you leaving with a smile on your face. However, with some adult themes, this musical is not for the whole family and has a recommended minimum viewing age of 13.
Waitress is on until the 4th of June at the Wales Millennium Centre. To find out more and to book tickets, click here.
