Waitress – Sunderland Empire

Book: Jessie Nelson

Music and Lyrics: Sara Bareilles

Director: Diane Paulus

Waitress has never relied on grand gestures to win people over. Since its Broadway premiere in 2016, adapting Adrienne Shelly’s 2007 film with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, it has built its following on something more understated: a warmth that spreads from the cast and the narrative, baking into the audience almost as beautifully as the many tasty pies on show. Its journey through the West End and now across the UK has only reinforced that appeal, proving there’s a firm audience for musicals that favour intimacy over spectacle.

The current tour understands that tone well. Set in a small-town diner, the story follows Jenna (Emma Lucia), a talented pie-maker stuck in an unhappy marriage, whose unplanned pregnancy forces her to reconsider what her future might look like. Around her, a tight-knit circle of colleagues and acquaintances offers both distraction and support: Becky (Sandra Marvin) with her wry resilience; Dawn (Evelyn Hoskins) with her anxious optimism; and a new doctor on the scene whose presence complicates matters further. The narrative unfolds in gentle increments rather than dramatic jolts, but it gathers emotional force as it goes.

This production keeps things fluid and unfussy. The design evokes the diner without overloading it, allowing the focus to remain on the characters, while Bareilles’ score – still one of the show’s strongest assets – lands with clarity and feeling. There’s a pleasing sense of ensemble throughout, with each performer contributing to a world that feels lived-in rather than performed. However, one technical element proves a noticeable distraction: the inconsistency of the follow spot. At times it lags behind the action, at others it feels poorly centred, is shaky and wobbly and it becomes difficult to ignore – an example of one of the weakest displays of follow spotting in a touring production of this scale.

The supporting cast are consistently engaging. Marvin brings both humour and steel to the character of Becky, her delivery grounded and assured, while Dawn’s quirks are handled with charm rather than exaggeration by Hoskins.

Mark Anderson strikes the right balance between awkwardness and sincerity with Ogie, Dawn’s one and only boyfriend, making his scenes some of the most enjoyable of the evening. Dr Pomatter is played with a lightly offbeat touch by Dan Partridge that really suits the role, and Les Dennis as Old Joe offers a gruff, quietly affecting presence – in fact, it’s a shame that more is not made of his death, which passes by in a fleeting moment and moves on far too quickly. Even Earl (Mark Willshire), often a difficult part to pitch, is portrayed with enough conviction to make his behaviour land with real discomfort.

In the central role, Emma Lucia (originally from the North East) gives a polished and professional performance. Vocally, she is accomplished throughout, handling the score with ease and control, and her interpretation is clear and coherent. However, while everything is in place technically, there’s a sense that the rougher edges of the character are slightly smoothed over. Jenna’s vulnerability is present, but it rarely feels fully exposed; the performance is more composed than raw, which means some of the emotional impact doesn’t quite cut as deeply as it might.

Even so, this remains a thoroughly satisfying production. It knows what it is and doesn’t attempt to overreach, delivering a well-judged balance of humour and feeling with a strong company at its core. Not every moment lands with maximum force, but enough do to make this an easy recommendation.

Runs until 9th May 2026, before continuing on tour