Our theatre reviewer, Hannah Hobson, shares her thoughts on Waitress at Hull New Theatre.
I may have found your new favourite musical. From composer, Sara Barielles (of Love Song and Brave fame), director, Dianne Paulus (who won a Tony Award in 2013 for Pippin), writer, Jessie Nelson, and choreographer, Lorin Latarro, comes a musical based on an independent movie of the same name. It’s a story about the power of friendship, small dreams and the pursuit of happiness through pie.
It’s here in Hull for a week as part of its national tour after a successful Broadway and West End run. The question then isn’t ‘Does Waitress work?’ but perhaps ‘Does Waitress work here?’ Well, if Monday night’s standing ovation was anything to go by, the answer is a resounding yes.
Waitress takes place in a small town America where Jenna, played here by Chelsea Halfpenny, works at Joe’s Pie Shop, bringing home money to her abusive husband who has just enrolled her in ‘Club Knocked Up’. Faced with bringing a child into an unhappy home, Jenna escapes through her baking and through her dishy gynaecologist, Dr Pomatter.
On the face of it, this should be an almost unwatchably grim concept. Domestic abuse and the American Healthcare system? Count me out. What is so stunning about Waitress however is it celebrates the joy in the little moments. It is unflinchingly optimistic, balancing camp and humour with realism and pathos. It is a celebration of sisterhood and of the little dreams which can point us in the right direction. Yes, I cried like a baby through most of the second act but not because the show is sad, because this protagonist looks adversity in the face and says, maybe I want better than this. I dare anyone to come out of this musical without having laughed and cried, often in the same scene.
This is due, in part, to Barielles’ exceptional score. It’s a musical with no dud numbers, a feat in itself. It’s poppy and peppy, sweet as pie but with some real depth of flavour. When He Sees Me, the character song of flighty Dawn, played by Evelyn Hoskins, is a fast-talking comic number with a soaring chorus. She Used to Be Mine, might be one of the best 11 o’clock numbers in modern musical theatre. It is a truly exceptional score and this cast perform it with such joy and vitality.
The female cast of this show are utterly stunning. Chelsea Halfpenny is giving a heartfelt performance as Jenna alongside shimmering performances from Sandra Marvin as Becky and Hoskins as Dawn. Waitress is a musical that understands that your friendships can often be more significant than your romantic relationships, which this trio sit happily at the heart of.
This is not to say that the men are left to sit on their laurels. George Crawford as Ogie is wonderfully quirky and energetic, making a song that could, if badly executed, come off as quite creepy, one of the most notable comic turns of the night. In addition, Tamlyn Henderson is chilling as Jenna’s awful husband Earl, treading the line between oafish and frightening with incomparable skill. Busted’s Matt Willis is playing Doctor Pomatter and is perhaps a little uncomfortable with the form but is nonetheless sweet and charming in the role.
Ultimately, this is a feel-good musical with a deeper heart. It tells a moving story about people who feel tangible and real, capturing all the sincerity of Adrienne Shelly’s original movie with a sprinkling of musical theatre magic too. If you love narratives about mother/daughter relationships, female friendship and pie (and who doesn’t?), then this is definitely the show for you. It is a sweet treat not to be missed.
[Hannah Hobson – Theatre reviewer]