Waitress UK Tour Review - Carrie Hope Fletcher Shines as Jenna

If you know me, you’ll know that I have loved and followed Carrie Hope Fletcher for such a long time. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to see her perform in productions including The Addams Family, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Calamity Jane, as well as attending her solo tours. Carrie has always been one of those performers I naturally gravitate towards because she has such a unique ability to completely command a stage while still making every performance feel personal and genuine.

So, when it was announced that Carrie would be starring as Jenna in the UK tour of Waitress, I was instantly excited. Not only did it mean getting to see Carrie perform again, but it also gave me the perfect excuse to finally experience a musical that, somehow, I knew very little about.

Now, as someone who regularly goes to the theatre, admitting that I had never seen Waitress or really knew much about it at all feels slightly embarrassing. From the reaction online after I booked tickets, it quickly became obvious just how loved this musical actually is. It has a huge fanbase and such a strong reputation within the theatre community, so I genuinely don’t know how it completely slipped under my radar for so long.

But honestly, I think going into Waitress blind made the experience even more magical.

Carrie Hope Fletcher coming onto the stage for a final bow during the Waitress tour

What Is Waitress About?

There’s something really special about sitting down to watch a musical with absolutely no expectations and allowing the story, music and performances to completely surprise you. That was exactly what happened here, and from the very beginning I found myself completely drawn into the world of Waitress.

For anyone else unfamiliar with the show, Waitress tells the story of Jenna, a talented pie maker and waitress working in Joe’s Pie Diner. While Jenna appears cheerful on the surface, she’s trapped in an unhappy and emotionally abusive marriage and begins questioning what she truly wants from life. When she unexpectedly discovers she is pregnant, Jenna starts imagining what a different future could look like for both herself and her baby.

Although the storyline deals with some heavy themes, Waitress balances emotion, heartbreak and humour beautifully. At its core, it’s a story about friendship, hope, resilience and finding the courage to change your life even when it feels impossible. The music, written by Sara Bareilles, is absolutely stunning and perfectly captures every emotion throughout the show. The songs feel incredibly heartfelt and intimate, which makes the emotional moments hit even harder.

The Waitress UK Tour Cast Was Outstanding

Of course, Carrie Hope Fletcher was the main reason I booked tickets in the first place, and unsurprisingly, she was phenomenal as Jenna. Carrie has always had an incredible voice, but there’s also something so emotionally honest about the way she performs. She doesn’t just sing songs, she completely lives every moment on stage, and that’s what makes her performances so captivating to watch.

As Jenna, Carrie perfectly captured the character’s vulnerability, warmth and quiet strength. She made Jenna feel incredibly real, which meant every emotional moment landed exactly as it should. Her vocals throughout the show were flawless, but the standout moment for me was her big solo number, She Used To Be Mine.

Even before seeing Waitress, I had heard people talk about this song countless times online, but hearing Carrie perform it live was something else entirely. The entire theatre fell silent. You could genuinely feel every person in the audience completely absorbed in the moment. It was emotional, raw and beautifully performed, and honestly, it felt worthy of a standing ovation halfway through the show. There were tears all around the auditorium, myself included.

However, as much as I absolutely loved Carrie in this role, I also have to give credit to the entire cast because every single performer was outstanding. Genuinely, there was not one weak performance on that stage.

One of the things I loved most about this production was how natural the cast chemistry felt. The friendships between the characters were believable and warm, and every member of the company brought something unique and memorable to the show. I found myself fully invested in all of the characters, not just Jenna’s story.

The comedic timing throughout the production was excellent, helping to balance the heavier emotional moments perfectly. There were so many moments where the audience was laughing one second and then suddenly emotional the next, which is something Waitress does incredibly well.

A special mention absolutely has to go to Les Dennis as Old Joe. He was brilliant from start to finish and brought so much heart to the role. His scenes with Jenna were genuinely lovely to watch and added so much emotional depth to the show.

Waitress Set Design and Production

Visually, the production was fairly simple, but in a way that worked perfectly for the story being told. Joe’s Pie Diner acted as the central set throughout the show, while smaller set pieces were wheeled in and out to create different locations and scenes.

It never felt overly complicated or distracting. Instead, the simplicity allowed the performances, storytelling and music to remain the true focus of the production.

The lighting and overall atmosphere also helped create such an intimate feeling, even within a large theatre space. At times it genuinely felt like you were sitting inside the diner with these characters, watching their lives unfold in front of you.

Tour Dates

The tour is in full swing but there are some venues still available to book now.

Cardiff

Wales Millennium Centre

Mon 8 - Sat 13 Jun 2026

*Starring Carrie Hope Fletcher

Southend

Cliffs Pavilion

Wed 17 - Sat 20 Jun 2026

*Starring Carrie Hope Fletcher

Oxford

New Theatre

Mon 29 Jun - Sat 4 Jul 2026

*Starring Carrie Hope Fletcher

Stoke-On-Trent

Regent Theatre

Mon 6 - Sat 11 Jul 2026

*Starring Carrie Hope Fletcher

Blackpool

Opera House

Mon 13 - Sat 18 Jul 2026

*Starring Carrie Hope Fletcher

Leicester

Leicester Curve

Mon 20 - Sat 25 Jul 2026

*Starring Carrie Hope Fletcher

Belfast

Grand Opera House

Tue 28 Jul - Sat 1 Aug 2026

*Starring Carrie Hope Fletcher

Bristol

Hippodrome

Tue 4 - Sat 8 Aug 2026

*Starring Carrie Hope Fletcher

Nottingham

Royal Concert Hall

Mon 10 - Sat 15 Aug 2026

*Starring Carrie Hope Fletcher

Llandudno

Venue Cymru

Mon 17 - Sat 22 Aug 2026

*Starring Carrie Hope Fletcher

Bournemouth

Pavilion Theatre

Mon 24 - Sat 29 Aug 2026

*Casting of 'Jenna' to Be Announced

Hull

New Theatre

Tue 1 - Sat 5 Sep 2026

*Casting of 'Jenna' to Be Announced

Liverpool

Empire

Mon 7 - Sat 12 Sep 2026

*Starring Carrie Hope Fletcher

Milton Keynes

Theatre

Tue 22 - Sat 26 Sep 2026

*Starring Carrie Hope Fletcher

Glasgow

King's Theatre

Tue 6 - Sat 10 Oct 2026

*Casting of 'Jenna' to Be Announced

Sheffield

Lyceum Theatre

Tue 13 - Sat 17 Oct 2026

*Casting of 'Jenna' to Be Announced

Salford

Lowry

Tue 27 - Sat 31 Oct 2026

*Casting of 'Jenna' to Be Announced

Cast members dancing together on stage during the final song of Waitress

Final Thoughts on Waitress UK Tour

By the end of the show, I completely understood why Waitress has such a devoted fanbase.

It’s one of those musicals that quietly sneaks up on you emotionally. You go in expecting a fun night at the theatre and leave thinking about the characters, the music and the story long after the curtain comes down. It’s heartfelt, funny, emotional and incredibly human all at once.

Seeing a musical for the very first time is always a special experience, especially when you have no idea what to expect going in. But seeing Waitress for the first time with Carrie Hope Fletcher leading such an incredible cast made the experience even more memorable.

From the beautiful music and emotional storytelling to the phenomenal performances across the entire company, this production completely won me over. Carrie Hope Fletcher was outstanding as Jenna, but every single member of the cast contributed something special that made the show feel truly magical.

Honestly, I loved it so much that I’m already considering booking again later in the tour just to experience it all one more time. And if that doesn’t say everything you need to know about how much I enjoyed Waitress, I don’t know what does.