Waitress Serves Up A Winning Bake

Can I start this by saying that I am no theatre or musicals critic and my ramblings are that of a die hard fan who tends to get over excited as soon as the lights go down in most theatrical surroundings ....

That makes it sound like I'm easily pleased with the luvvies and I'm really not. I mean, I did Drama and stuff at University and harboured an ambition to play Lady Macbeth opposite Luke Skywalker when I was a kid, but those are really my only qualifications for having an opinion on these things.

I therefore, humbly, ask you to beg, borrow or steal what you need, to go and see Waitress .. it's really very, very good.

It's not new to London's West End and has consistently garnered loving reviews but this week it's musical creator and songstress Sara Bareilles takes the reigns for a limited run as it's big hearted, downtrodden, pie making dreamer .. Jenna. Who through creatively naming her pastry based goods, escapes the drudgery of her daily life and her abusive husband.

It's an ernest and warming view of friendships and support and what real love can be. A massive dollop of humour and Bareilles' arsenal of retro Americana flavoured melodies later and you've got something really special.

Maybe it was it's creator in Jenna's skin that did it, or knowing that it was pretty much an all female team that gave 'Waitress' life, but the air punching success of a woman finding her own path and realising her strength, was palpable and it was no surprise that the audience literally jumped to it's feet for a standing ovation.

I'm a bit of hormonal shit storm currently with even the hint of a flat white white prompting a hot flush, so obviously there were tears. I wasn't alone though and certainly in the afterglow of the beautiful 'She Used To be Mine', I shot more than a few supportive smiles at my fellow audiences members.

The bar is high in the West End, and getting audiences to pay West End prices requires excellence at every level. But in amongst the behemoths of Les Mis, Wicked and the likes of Hamilton .. this little story about the little people is sung with giant voices and is a giant success.

I loved it x