As lockdown has meant my theatre-loving heart is unable to see any new productions, I figure now is the perfect time to revisit and review some of the ones I've managed to see and loved.  

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to get cheap tickets to see Waitress with my lovely friend and fellow theatre enthusiast Jarrod. I must admit I had gone into the show not really knowing what to expect and had only really known that the music was written by Sara Bareilles as in the singer of Love Song which was a bop back in 2007 when it was released. I also had a vague sense it revolved around baking from the promo images, so I dubbed it as an experience 'Pie'm so excited for' (sorry I'll see myself out) 🥧 and it certainly didn't disappoint, and has climbed its way into my heart as a little slice of enjoyable theatre delight.

The show follows Jenna, a waitress at a local diner who is known for her pie-making skills. We follow her through a series of challenges and unexpected experiences including an abusive marriage, pregnancy and pie baking. The hot new Doctor Pomatter arrives in town, which complicates things further, and you follow Jenna and her fellow waitresses Dawn and Becky as they go through the motions of adulthood's uncertain relationships and life throwing a spanner in the works.

In the performance I saw, the titular role was played by Desi Oakley, who led the 2017 US tour, playing opposite David Hunter's Pomatter. The chemistry was believable, and the pair duet and interact in a guilty indulgent manner that left me a bit giddy - just like being on a sugar rush. Made from the finest ingredients - two strong leads, a fabulous ensemble cast plus catchy music and a fun set to boot - it's no wonder Waitress serves up rave reviews. The story is by no means a showy blockbuster - there are no big cast ensemble dance pieces or fancy fireworks, but it's got healthy dosing of sugar, butter, flour and heart, just like the ingredients of Jenna's pies. There is a certain feelgood quality to the show with equal parts comedy and tragedy mixed together to serve something warm and delicious to enjoy (okay I will stop with the baking euphemisms now). There are enough wish-fulfilment elements to add a certain 'fairy godmother' aspect to an otherwise realistic story about a woman's unwilling acceptance of impending motherhood and a relationship you sense might not quite last.

There is a certain likeability and imperfection to the characters (very much like Sally Rooney's books, I'm looking at you Normal People) whereupon they appear genuinely flawed and human, not apart from you and I in the audience. It really made me feel more immersed in the performance rather than a surveyor of the story. There are also some hilarious over-the-top acted out sex scenes (including a Civil War re-enactment) that made me belly laugh, and songs that enchantingly follow the fluctuations and highs and lows of Jenna's life in a way that feels organic rather than forced.

I found myself shimmying in my seat to Bad Idea before almost sobbing at She Used to Be Mine, both excellent examples of Bareilles' ability to convey emotion whether that's charged lust or deep sadness. There's a tongue-in-cheeky guilty giddiness and silliness to some scenes, but the cast seamlessly interchanges from these to ones of token seriousness that sensibly tackles the theme of an abusive relationship, affairs and doing the right thing. There are vulnerability and kindness, and climatic realisations that things don't have to stay the way they are.

The mixture of themes and music genres explored in the show may not seem like the most likely of combinations -  but like the concoctions of ingredients in Jenna's pies, blueberry bacon anyone? -  it seems to work together in harmony.  So what do you get if you mix messy love lives, pastry, light relief and a killer soundtrack to boot? A little slice of theatre magic, that's what.

 Until recently, the play was showing at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End, but due to the virus, its term was cut short - have no fear though, as it is embarking on a UK tour, and tickets can be bought here. I'm already anticipating getting my second serving of this delight.