Waitress: A Deliciously Feel-Good Night at the Theatre 🥧

Warm, funny, uplifting and packed with heart, this delightful musical brings together brilliant music, relatable characters and real-life stories that matter, creating a production that is as moving as it is entertaining.

Barry and Fran Weissler and David Ian for Crossroads Live present Waitress, with a book by Jessie Nelson, music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, and directed by Diane Paulus.

At its heart, Waitress tells the story of Jenna, a talented pie-maker and waitress whose life hasn't quite turned out the way she had hoped. Trapped in an unhappy marriage and facing an unexpected pregnancy, Jenna finds herself questioning what she really wants from life. Her world begins to change when she enters a local pie contest and develops a complicated relationship with her new doctor, while the friendships she has built with fellow waitresses Becky and Dawn become an important source of support.

But this isn't simply a story about romance. It's about friendship, finding your voice, making difficult choices and discovering that you can still take control of your own story, even when life hasn't gone according to plan. There are themes of relationships, motherhood, loneliness, domestic abuse and starting again, but they are handled alongside plenty of humour, warmth and humanity. It makes the characters feel incredibly real, and there are moments that will make you laugh one minute and tug at your heartstrings the next.

And then there is Carrie Hope Fletcher as Jenna.

Quite simply, her performance is superb. Fletcher brings so much warmth and depth to Jenna, allowing you to really understand the woman behind the smile, the pies and the jokes. There is vulnerability in her performance, but also an underlying strength that gradually becomes more apparent as Jenna starts to realise that she deserves more from life.

Vocally, she is incredible. Her voice is absolutely insane, and there was one particular moment that completely stopped the theatre in its tracks. When Fletcher sang She Used to Be Mine, you could feel the audience completely captivated by what was happening on stage. It was beautifully performed, incredibly powerful and genuinely emotional. When the song finished, the applause went on for a long time – the kind of spontaneous, heartfelt reaction that tells you just how much a performance has connected with an audience.

It was a perfect theatre moment.

Fletcher is surrounded by a superb cast, and I particularly loved the dynamic between Jenna and the two other waitresses, Becky, played by Bernadette Bangura, and Dawn, played by Evelyn Hoskins. Their friendship is one of the real joys of the show. They are completely different characters, but together they create a wonderfully believable friendship, with the teasing, support and occasional exasperation that comes with knowing someone inside out.

Vocally, all three are equally pitch perfect, and their chemistry is brilliant. Their scenes bring some of the biggest laughs, but they also demonstrate one of the central strengths of Waitress – the importance of having people around you who understand you, support you and will stand beside you when life gets complicated.

Mark Anderson as Ogie was another standout. Ogie is funny, awkward, endearing and completely delightful, and Anderson absolutely embraces every part of the character. His performance brought plenty of laughter to the theatre, while his wonderfully eccentric energy made every appearance memorable. It is a character that could easily become too much, but Anderson gets the balance just right.

Old Joe was played by Dan O'Brien, while Will Arundell played Cal, with the whole cast bringing something special to the production. There is a real sense of an ensemble here, rather than individual performances simply sitting alongside one another. Everyone plays their part in creating the warm, bustling world of the diner, and the chemistry between the cast is evident throughout.

The production itself is equally impressive. The set seamlessly moves from one scene to the next, and the transitions are so smooth that you barely notice them happening. The diner feels like a real place, with the kitchen, counter and pie displays creating the perfect backdrop for the story.

We were also lucky enough to be invited onto the stage before the show to film some clips, which gave us a fascinating little glimpse behind the scenes. Seeing the markers across the stage, the pies carefully positioned in the cabinets and all the tiny details that have to be precisely in place really highlighted just how much preparation goes into a production like this.

It was a brilliant reminder that the magic we see from the audience doesn't happen by accident. Every prop, every marker and every movement has its place, and that precision right from the very start of the show is essential to making everything run smoothly. Getting that little insight before the curtain went up was fascinating and made watching the finished production even more enjoyable.

And, of course, there are the pies.

They are practically a character in their own right, with Jenna's creations woven throughout the story and the set beautifully bringing that element of the production to life. It is impossible not to leave the theatre thinking about pie – although perhaps don't arrive hungry!

The music by Sara Bareilles is another huge part of what makes Waitress so enjoyable. I went into the show not knowing the music particularly well, but it didn't take long before I had several of the songs running around in my head. The score is catchy, emotional and varied, moving effortlessly between big musical numbers and quieter, more reflective moments.

There is also plenty of comedy running through the show, which keeps the heavier themes from ever becoming overwhelming. Waitress manages to tackle some genuinely important and sometimes difficult subjects while still being hugely entertaining. It understands that real life isn't simply happy or sad – sometimes it is messy, complicated, ridiculous and heartbreaking all at the same time.

And perhaps that is why it connects so well.

These are characters dealing with things that many people will recognise in some way – relationships that aren't working, dreams that have been put on hold, unexpected changes, loneliness, friendship and the challenge of figuring out what you actually want from your life. There is something incredibly warming about watching Jenna gradually find the courage to believe that her story doesn't have to be dictated by the circumstances she finds herself in.

The audience certainly seemed to be loving every minute of it. There were huge rounds of applause throughout the performance, and by the end there was a well-deserved standing ovation. Even during the interval, you could hear people chatting about “how good the show is”, and there was a definite buzz around Milton Keynes Theatre.

And that's perhaps the best way to describe Waitress – a show that creates a buzz because it makes people feel something.

It makes you laugh. It makes you think. It might make you reach for a tissue. It gives you songs that will be stuck in your head on the drive home and characters you find yourself rooting for. Most importantly, it tells stories about ordinary people facing very real situations, while reminding us just how important friendship, courage and a little bit of hope can be.

Waitress is the perfect recipe of brilliant music, big laughs and plenty of heart. Pure magic!

If you're looking for a warm, funny and feel-good night at the theatre, this is one to add to your list. Waitress is at Milton Keynes Theatre until Saturday 26 September, but there are only a handful of seats remaining.

So, if you want to experience this wonderful production for yourself, head to book your tickets quickly – they won't be around for much longer.