Theatre / Musical Theatre
Review: Waitress, Bristol Hippodrome – ‘a charming, feel-good night out’
When a musical starts with a song cheekily reminding the audience to turn off their phones, it’s hard not to be charmed. Waitress, the ‘Romantic Musical Comedy’ as it’s billed, was met with rapturous reception on its first of its week-long run at The Hippodrome.
Waitress tells the story of Jenna, a baker and waitress in a southern US diner, who falls unexpectedly pregnant with her abusive husband’s baby. With the support of her co-workers, Becky and Dawn – each with their own personal troubles – Jenna seeks to escape her marriage for a better life by winning the cash prize at a baking competition.
It’s easy to like most the characters, even if each of them are flawed in different ways; we forgive Jenna’s infidelity with her gynaecologist Dr Pomatter in her pursuit of escapism. Audiences of musicals are nothing if not optimists and romantics, and a true love story is something we can all invest in.
is needed now More than ever
(l-r) Sandra Marvin as Becky, Chelsea Halfpenny as Jenna and Evelyn Hoskins as Dawn – photo: Johan Persson
The real crux of Waitress, however, is more than just another love story: it’s the idea that we shouldn’t live our lives on the basis of being just happy ‘enough’, but that we should strive to be truly happy.
Chelsea Halfpenny as Jenna does an excellent job at driving the story forward, conveying the highs and lows of the character effectively: the show-stopping ballad She Used to Be Mine near the end received a lengthy round of applause. Matt Willis, of the boyband Busted, put in a great performance too, and there was no weak spot among the rest of the cast.
Although Waitress is smart enough to separate the comedy from the serious themes – notably, domestic violence – there are a few issues with the tone that crop up through the play. While the overall feel of the musical is wholesome and sweet, there are a couple of unexpected songs based on sexual comedy. Funny, sure, but unexpected, and probably out of place when followed by Jenna’s heartfelt dedication to her unborn child – You Matter to Me.
(l-r) Matt Willis as Dr Pomatter and Chelsea Halfpenny as Jenna – photo: Johan Persson
Meanwhile, the other two waitress characters lack real depth, the writing relying on frankly outdated tropes to support the main character’s journey. The pacing also falters towards the show’s close, with the ending feeling rushed. Still, it was hard not to get on board with the Finale, the camaraderie among the cast being truly infectious.
Not everyone gets what they want at the show’s conclusion, but it ends with the sense that the characters might end up truly happy, which is the ultimate mission of Waitress’ plot.
With an enchanting set, a great band and fantastic performances from the cast, see Waitress this week at the Hippodrome for a feel-good night out.
(l-r) Chelsea Halfpenny as Jenna, Evelyn Hoskins as Dawn and Sandra Marvin as Becky – photo: Johan Persson
Waitress is at Bristol Hippodrome, St Augustine’s Parade, Bristol, BS1 4UZ on February 8-12 at 7.30pm, with matinee shows on Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm. For more information and tickets, www.atgtickets.com.
Main image: Matt Crockett
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