WAITRESS

Theatre Royal Brighton

★★★½

“Funny, moving and musically rich”

A small-town diner, a troubled marriage and a gift for baking pies might not sound like the ingredients for a hit musical, but Waitress proves otherwise. Jessie Nelson adapts the 2007 film by Adrienne Shelly for the stage, with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles. The result blends sharp humour, broad comedy and a richly melodic score into something contemporary and emotionally engaging, even if it occasionally struggles to reconcile its shifting tones.

At its centre is Jenna, played by Carrie Hope Fletcher, a waitress whose talent for pie-making becomes a form of expression, escape and ultimately self-determination. Fletcher delivers a performance of real assurance, her vocals soaring with clarity and control while keeping Jenna grounded and recognisable. There is steel beneath the warmth, giving weight to the character’s choices without losing the show’s lighter touch.

Jenna is trapped in an unhappy marriage to Earl while working at a local diner alongside her friends Becky and Dawn. When she discovers she is pregnant, her sense of being stuck deepens, until the arrival of Dr Pomatter complicates matters further. As their relationship develops, Jenna begins to imagine a different future for herself, one shaped as much by friendship and small acts of courage as by romance.

Around her, the supporting cast adds texture and energy. Sandra Marvin’s Becky is wry, warm and sharply observed, while Evelyn Hoskins brings offbeat charm to Dawn; both shine in their solos, When He Sees Me and I Didn’t Plan It, showcasing vocal range and character depth. Dan O’Brien’s Cal, the diner’s brusque but caring manager, provides a steady comic presence. Dan Partridge’s Dr Pomatter is likeable and easy-going, his scenes with Fletcher carrying a gentle if somewhat idealised chemistry within what is ultimately a more troubling dynamic than the musical fully interrogates. Alongside him, Ellie Ruiz Rodriguez steals scenes as Nurse Norma, leaning fully into the role’s comic potential. Mark Anderson impresses as Ogie, Dawn’s boyfriend, his Never Getting Rid of Me bursting with invention even if its premise – his refusal to take no for an answer – feels slightly uneasy. Les Dennis brings quiet poignancy to Old Joe, his solo Take It From an Old Man delivered with warmth and lived-in humanity, while Mark Wilshire ensures Earl feels uncomfortably real rather than simply villainous.

It is this darker undercurrent that gives the show its bite, though it occasionally feels uneven. Beneath the sugary surface lie serious themes – domestic abuse, coercive control, dementia, infidelity, financial insecurity, generational trauma, stalking and sexual misconduct. Some are central to Jenna’s journey, while others are lightly brushed aside or played for humour, creating an imbalance that prevents the piece from fully landing.

Bareilles’ score is the beating heart of the show, effortlessly moving between ensemble numbers and introspective solos. The songs feel fully integrated into the storytelling. Choreography by Lorin Latarro complements the storytelling with organic, character-driven movement, and the on-stage band under musical direction Stephen Hill adds immediacy and warmth.

Direction by Diane Paulus keeps the production fluid and engaging, allowing humour and pathos to sit side by side, even if the tonal balance occasionally wobbles. Design by Scott Pask captures the lived-in familiarity of the diner, with a flexible set that shifts smoothly between locations. Lighting by Ken Billington subtly shapes mood and focus, while costumes by Suttirat Anne Larlarb ground the characters in a recognisable world. Waitress is a feel-good musical at its heart, following Jenna’s journey with warmth and humour, yet it carries enough complexity to give the story depth. Funny, moving and musically rich, it balances sweetness with just enough bite, even if it does not always explore its darker themes fully.

WAITRESS

Theatre Royal Brighton then UK Tour continues

Reviewed on 7th April 2026

by Ellen Cheshire

Photography by Johan Persson

WAITRESS

★★★★

“a musical with a profound heart, and more than a touch of a morality tale”

Queen of the Mist is an ironic meditation on a whole range of recognisable American characters, including unscrupulous managers, small minded small town citizens, a radical Temperance campaigner — and even the assassin of an American president. In Michael John LaChiusa’s musical, they all get caught up in the story of one highly unusual sixty-three year old woman striving for immortality — and enough money to live out the end of her days. For protagonist Anna Edson Taylor, the problem is how to achieve this when life has you so beaten, the only route left to you is to go over the Niagara Falls in a barrel.

Based on a true story, we first meet Anna drifting from small upstate New York towns to small midwestern cities. All she meets is a hard nosed scepticism and a grasping at dollars — a wasteland for a woman who proclaims throughout Queen of the Mist that “There is a Greatness in Me.” Her longing for significance is dismissed by those who see Anna’s quest for consequence as that of an unscrupulous huckster and “Queen of fools.” There is more than a little truth to this, but in the words and music of LaChiusa, Anna’s search transcends the hardscrabble existence of a self proclaimed “quintessential hero”. We see instead, an intelligent woman who takes on the forces of nature “with science”, and wins. With such a barnstorming ending to the first half as Anna goes over the Niagara Falls, where can Queen of the Mist possibly go in the second?

Anna’s story falters in the second half, and this is hardly surprising. Anna’s life falters as well. As the first person to survive a trip over the Falls, we see her life turn into a series of lecture tours that all fail because of Anna’s inability to describe “what it was like”. There is conscious irony at work here, in giving Anna the posthumous fame she so desperately sought in life. Michael John LaChuisa once again creates a challenging work laden with memorable music and big ideas.

This revival of Queen of the Mist at the Charing Cross Theatre is noteworthy in several respects. With the audience seated both in front and behind the stage, set designer Tara Usher has produced a flexible space that teases with several delightful surprises as Anna’s story proceeds, amply supported by lighting designer Beth Gupwell. But it is director Dom O’Hanlon who deserves special mention for making the most of this challenging space. It is rare that one sees such confident, ingenious work. His direction highlights the talents of the cast, particularly Trudi Camilleri, playing Anna, and Will Arundell, who plays Anna’s first manager, Frank Russell. The musical direction of Connor Fogel is also confident, and with his band, supports the singing talents of all the cast to good effect.

Queen of the Mist is not a light hearted musical, but it is a musical with a profound heart, and more than a touch of a morality tale. For how different, really, is our contemporary world, with its own parade of hucksters and money grabbers? Anna Taylor Edson’s story is a perfect example of restless people in search of distinction, deserved or not. But Queen of the Mist is ultimately a musical about hope and resurrection, and inspirational in its own unique way.

Reviewed by Dominica Plummer

Photography by Stephen Russell

Tag Archives: Will Arundell

WAITRESS

★★★½

UK Tour

WAITRESS

Theatre Royal Brighton

★★★½

“Funny, moving and musically rich”

WAITRESS