The UK and Ireland tour of Waitress the Musical officially opened tonight at the New Wimbledon Theatre with a special gala evening, where guests were given a free Waitress the Musical tea towel to celebrate the theatre’s official reopening.

The show’s tour premiered on Saturday, with new amendments to the script and staging that mirrors the current USA and Canada tour, removing all automation and meaning all on-stage props and scenery are on wheels and moved by the cast. The diner chairs hook onto the tables, meaning they can be wheeled off with the tables. The bathroom wheels on from the left-hand side of the stage, rather than the right. The side proscenium pie cabinets that framed the stage at the Adelph Theatre are also removed, replaced with a small light-up mini cabinet, which is wheeled on and off.

Joe’s Pie Diner pie board has been updated to include ‘Live Your Life Pie’, which wasn’t present at the opening of previews on Saturday. The pie is a tribute to original Broadway cast member, Nick Cordero, who died of COVID-19 in 2020.

Some of the amendments made to the show that make it different to the West End run are as follows:

  • ‘What Baking Can Do’ has an extended introduction
  • Dawn describes herself as ‘fervently organised’ instead of ‘enthusiastically American’
  • Ogie is described as a ‘mad clogging elf’ rather than a ‘mad stalking elf’ when he arrives at Joe’s Pie Diner
  • Ogie’s injury, when he placed Paul Revere, resulted in him losing his pinkie
  • During ‘Bad Idea (Reprise)‘, Dawn is now stitching a USA pride flag, which includes colours from the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag, including black and brown to represent people of colour, and the colours of trans flag
  • The chair in ‘Bad Idea (Reprise)’ does not move, as there is no automation, meaning Ogie carries Dawn off-stage
  • Jenna names the wedding pies she has baked for Dawn and Ogie’s wedding, ‘A Big Ol’ Slice Of Live Your Life Pie’, in honour of Nick Cordero