Review: Waitress at The Bristol Hippodrome
Posted on: 05 Aug 2026Vivienne Kennedy reviews Waitress, playing at The Bristol Hippodrome until Saturday 8 August 2026.
Waitress is a musical featuring music and lyrics by Sara Bereilles and a book by Jessie Nelson, the all-female creative team completed by choreographer Lorin Latarro, and director Diana Paulus. Following success on Broadway, it premiered in the West End in 2019 and previously visited Bristol as part of its first UK tour in February 2022. It’s a favourite of mine and I’ve been looking forward to seeing it again.
At the centre of the story is Jenna, a diner waitress and pie-maker extraordinaire (she even dreams in pie). She’s unhappily married, unexpectedly pregnant, and feeling trapped, but overcomes the challenges she faces with the support of her workmates, Becky, Dawn, and Cal, and the diner’s owner, Joe (played by Sandra Marvin, Evelyn Hoskin, Dan O’Brien, and Les Dennis respectively).
As Jenna, Carrie Hope Fisher delivers an impressive performance, the highlight for me being her Act Two rendition of She Used To Be Mine, an incredibly moving love song to her lost self. What a voice!
Her husband, Earl, convincingly played by Mark Willshere, has few, if any, redeeming features; he’s controlling, insecure, and abusive. So, when Jenna falls head over heels for her new doctor, Jim Pomatter, portrayed by Dan Partridge, and he falls equally hard for her, and her pies, you find yourself rooting for them, even if he does have a wife… just not quite as hard as I find myself rooting for Jenna to find independence.
Waitress has characters you find yourself really caring about; a strong main story and several equally compelling side arcs; great songs (with the music played by a live onstage band); plenty of laugh out loud moments along with bits that might make you a tad emotional; colourful sets with a beautiful backdrop; and lots of pie (be prepared to find yourself feeling hungry!).
It’s fabulous and easily gets five stars from me!
For further information, and to book online for all Bristol Hippodrome shows click here.
Please note: Waitress contains some strong language, themes of domestic abuse and sexual innuendo, so discretion is advised for parents bringing children under age 13.