The producers of Waitress the Musical in London’s West End have officially confirmed the show’s early closure, due to Coronavirus.
The statement reads: “It is with great sadness that we’re closing our beloved London production of Waitress the Musical.
“As you’re aware, we’ve had to temporarily lower the curtain at the Adelphi Theatre and it’s now unlikely that the diner will reopen once this period of uncertainty is over. If things do change and there is a world in which we believe we could continue a run at the Adelphi before 4 July, we will be in touch with you.
“Ticket holders will be contacted in due course by their point of purchase.
“With our best wishes for your health and safety.”
Sara Bareilles posted on Twitter: “This is the heaviest. I’m so sorry for our brilliant company members and our audiences that won’t get to say goodbye to the show with a curtain call. We are all indebted to the incredible waitress fans who gave us an extraordinary run. Love, love, love and gratitude. Stay safe.”
Lucie Jones, who first played the role of Jenna on 16 May 2019 for a week, having been involved in official photoshoots with Joey McIntyre on Broadway in 2018, was due to return to the role of Jenna following the departure of Sara Bareilles. Due to illness, she played her last full show as Jenna in early January 2020. She said: “My heart is broken. I’ll never forget any of this. Thank you to the incredible cast crew and fan family of Waitress – you hold an incredibly special place in my heart.”
David Hunter, who originated the role of Dr. Pomatter on the West End, played his last show on 25 January 2020 before Gavin Creel took over for a limited season. He said: “I wish there could have been more, but I’ll always savour the time we had. Wasn’t it just glorious? A beautiful, beautiful, life-changing thing. Farewell Waitress, my friend.”
The announcement means Waitress the Musical played its last show on the West End on Saturday 14 March 2020, a week after celebrating a full year run since its official opening. The UK and Ireland tour is still due to open later this year as planned.