REVIEW: WAITRESS @ NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE

🎭 Waitress

📍 New Wimbledon Theatre, 93 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19 1QG

🗓 Tuesday 31st March 2026

⭐️ 3 Stars

NOT QUITE THE UPPER CRUST

Before last night I'd never actually seen WAITRESS before. I know, I know—put down the rolling pins! Despite being a bit of a "Waitress Virgin", I’m well aware of the massive following this show has. I knew the premise, I knew the Bareilles score, and honestly, I was really looking forward to finally seeing what the hype was about. Unfortunately, for me, it just didn't quite deliver the "sugar, butter, flour" magic I was expecting.

As a bit of a technical theatre nerd, I have to start there, and frankly, I felt this side of the production was quite poor. The lighting design did its job, but it felt remarkably boring. More frustratingly, the follow spot operation was incredibly distracting; it was shaky and at times felt like it was literally chasing the actors around the stage.

The sound levels weren't much better. The band frequently overpowered the vocals, which is such a shame when you're trying to catch the nuances of the lyrics. The music itself lacked a certain depth—it felt thin, as if it needed a few more musicians to really fill out that iconic sound.

Even the set design felt a bit "off" to me. I didn't love the amount of black masking surrounding the pieces; other touring shows manage to hide the bones much better, but here, the blackness just made the whole thing feel a bit cheap. For me, it was all just… okay.

Plot-wise, there are some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, but the show frequently felt lacking in heart. I’m not sure if that’s down to the book or the pacing of the direction, but the production was seriously short on emotion. A key example was the argument between Jenna and Earl—when she screams "I'm pregnant" it felt particularly weak and lacked the visceral punch that moment needs.

There were, however, some standout performances that kept me engaged. Mark Anderson as Ogie was a total breath of fresh air, injecting some much-needed energy into the proceedings. He’s an actor with impeccable comic timing and he delivers in spades. Dan Partridge is always great, but as Dr. Pomatter he was breathtaking—the perfect blend of awkward charm and absolutely stunning vocals. Sandra Marvin is a total musical theatre stalwart and a joy to watch as Becky, and it’s always a pleasure to see Les Dennis on stage.

That said, the choreography felt lacklustre and really needed to be tighter. In fact, the whole production felt like it wasn't quite ready for the oven yet; perhaps a bit more time in the rehearsal room would have resulted in a more "well-baked" production.

Because I have no prior relationship with the show, I felt like a bit of an outsider. There were plenty of long-time fans in the audience last night, and I suspect that familiarity and nostalgia allowed them to overlook the fact that the show just wasn't polished. Im sure that's something we've all been guilty of at some point. I’m confident that if I were to go back later in the run, everything would feel a lot more settled.

Maybe I’m being picky, or even a bit harsh, but I left feeling disappointed. I’d definitely see it again to give it another chance. As someone who values emotion and the technical aspects of a production last night was a bit of a half-baked experience.

If you fancy a slice of WAITRESS, performances continue at New Wimbledon Theatre until Saturday 4th April. Click here for tickets.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Waitress was gifted by New Wimbledon Theatre who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Carrie Hope Fletcher as Jenna; Sandra Marvin as Becky; Evelyn Hoskins as Dawn; Dan Partridge as Dr Pomatter; Les Dennis as Joe; Mark Anderson as Ogie; Dan O'Brien as Cal; Mark Willshire as Earl

Ensemble: Yochabel Asante; Alice Croft; Jamie Doncaster; Daniel Gerorge-Wright; Emma Luca; David Mairs-McKenzie; Ellie Ruiz Rodriguez

Swings: Will Arundell; Bayley Hart; Will Hardy; Olivia Lallo

The role of Lulu is shared by Magnolia Shaw-Powell and Ellie Sheepwash

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 30 minutes, including interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Domestic abuse; Sexual innuendo; Ocassional bad language

AGE GUIDELINES:

13 +

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