Les Dennis and Carrie Hope Fletcher are expected to pick their roles back up moving forward
Liverpool Empire is hosting Waitress: The Musical until the end of this week(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Two stars are set to return to the stage after missing the first performances of Waitress: The Musical. The show landed at Liverpool Empire this week, and despite being originally advertised, it was missing Les Dennis and Carrie Hope Fletcher.
The musical tells the story of Jenna, a gifted baker working at a small-town diner who feels trapped in an abusive marriage while facing an unplanned pregnancy. She copes with her circumstances by creating inventive pies and leaning on the support of her co-workers and friends, Becky and Dawn.
When Jenna enters a pie-baking contest, it sparks hope that she may finally have a chance to change her life and gain her independence. As the story unfolds, Jenna navigates complicated relationships, including an unexpected romance with her doctor, while slowly learning to recognise her own self-worth.
Ultimately, the musical is a celebration of self-discovery and resilience, highlighting themes of female friendship, empowerment and starting over. The show has come to the city as part of its 10th-anniversary tour, and Les was set to take on the role of Old Joe and Carrie as leading lady, Jenna.
However, on Monday, September 8 and Tuesday, September 9, they were played by Dan O’Brien and Ellie Ruiz Rodriguez, respectively – both of whom the ECHO hailed as brilliant in their opening night review.
The Liverpool Empire has now confirmed that the roles will go back to as originally planned. Separately, a spokesperson from the producers of Waitress told the ECHO: “As with all live performances, cast availability is subject to change due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances. We cannot guarantee that a specific performer will appear in any performance.”
In its original review, the ECHO said: “Waitress: The Musical landed at Liverpool Empire and, despite a number of cast changes, the show was just as brilliant as Jenna’s pie-making skills.
“After Ellie Ruiz Rodriguez stepped in as the leading lady, replacing Carrie Hope Fletcher, and belted out a pitch-perfect, emotionally charged She Used to Be Mine, the audience would have happily continued clapping for a good few minutes more if time had allowed it.
“The show was excellently cast. Ellie, backed up by Bernadette Bangura’s bold, sharp-tongued and fiercely loyal Becky alongside Evie Hoskins’ perfectly dorky Dawn, was like watching three jigsaw pieces slot together with ease. They reminded me of Monica, Phoebe and Rachel from Friends in the best possible way – completely different personalities that somehow make perfect sense together.
“The same could be said for the lads of the show. Dan Partridge’s Dr Pomatter was equal parts charming and awkward, while Mark Anderson’s Ogie was the same but tenfold; completely wacky, yet impossible not to love.
“I appreciated how they all had their own separate storylines, yet each one remained perfectly intertwined with the wider story. No character felt like they were simply there to fill space; everyone brought something to the production, whether it was comedy, heart or a much-needed shift in Jenna’s journey.
“Old Joe, played by Dan O’Brien instead of Les Dennis, deserves a mention, for bringing his warmth to some of show’s most touching moments.”
The show will be running at the Liverpool Empire Theatre until Saturday, September 12.
