Waitress brings a bittersweet recipe for change to Nottingham
Written by Katie Barr
There will be pies, plenty of laughs and more than a few complicated relationships when Waitress arrives at Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall this summer. The hit musical will play the venue from Monday 10 to Saturday 15 August 2026, with Carrie Hope Fletcher leading the cast as Jenna, a talented pie-maker searching for a way out of an unhappy marriage.
Set in a small-town American diner, Waitress follows Jenna as she pours her thoughts, frustrations and hopes into the unusual pies she creates each day. When she discovers a baking competition in a nearby county, the prize money offers the possibility of a fresh start. The arrival of the town’s new doctor complicates matters further, while her fellow waitresses Becky and Dawn are busy dealing with their own less-than-straightforward love lives. Although billed as a romantic musical comedy, the story also explores friendship, motherhood and the courage it can take to change direction when life has not turned out as planned.
Fletcher will be joined by Sandra Marvin as Becky and Evelyn Hoskins as Dawn. Both Marvin and Hoskins have previously appeared in the musical in the West End and on tour. Les Dennis takes on the role of Joe, the diner’s regular customer and owner, with Dan Partridge as Dr Pomatter, Mark Anderson as Ogie, Mark Willshire as Earl and Dan O’Brien as Cal. The Nottingham run forms part of a new UK and Ireland tour marking ten years since Waitress opened on Broadway. The production began its Broadway run in April 2016 before transferring to London’s Adelphi Theatre in 2019. It has since been staged around the world, including productions in North America, Japan, Holland, Canada and Mexico.
The musical is based on the 2007 film written by Adrienne Shelly, with music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson. Diane Paulus directs, with choreography by Lorin Latarro. Bareilles’ score has played a major part in the show’s popularity, moving between playful ensemble numbers, awkward comedy and Jenna’s more private moments. Its best-known song, She Used to Be Mine, has taken on a life beyond the musical and has been performed by singers around the world.
For Fletcher, Jenna is the latest in a long line of major musical-theatre roles. Her previous credits include Veronica Sawyer in Heathers, Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family, Fantine and Éponine in Les Misérables, Cinderella in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella and the title role in the recent tour of Calamity Jane. Dennis brings more than five decades of stage and television experience to the production. His musical credits include Hairspray, Chicago, Spamalot, Only Fools and Horses The Musical and The Addams Family, alongside his familiar television roles in Coronation Street and Extras.
With its diner setting, distinctive score and story of a woman attempting to take control of her future, Waitress offers Nottingham audiences a mixture of comedy, romance and something rather more substantial beneath the sugary surface. Waitress runs at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham, from Monday 10 to Saturday 15 August 2026.
Tickets are available from the Theatre Royal and Royal Concert Hall box office. Not in Nottingham? Check out the full tour for tickets near you!
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In-article images credited to Matt Crockett and Johan Persson. No changes were made to these images.
Featured Image credited to Matt Crockett.
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