Waitress at Bournemouth Pavilion, with a proud local highlight
Last night I went to see Waitress the Musical at Bournemouth Pavilion and it was spectacular.
“Hilariously Emotional” sums it up perfectly. Laughter filled the auditorium throughout the show, which complemented the sensitive, emotional storyline — delivered perfectly by the lead Emma Lucia. The original lead for the UK Tour is Carrie Hope Fletcher with some guest appearances by Lucie Jones. Les Dennis was also missing from the cast, so naturally there was a little disappointment that none of these artists were scheduled for any performances in Bournemouth, but that certainly didn’t dilute the experience. Emma told the story beautifully, her voice is perfect for this role and I’m so grateful I got to see her play this character.
Evelyn Hoskins (Dawn) was simply brilliant alongside Mark Anderson (Ogie). I’ve seen the original cast of Waitress when it first came to the UK, and I’ve seen the last UK tour, so these characters had some big shoes to fill — and they didn’t disappoint. Their delivery was slightly different to their predecessors, but they gave the script and lyrics more space which added so much clarity to their story. I understood their version so much more. They were brilliant.
The local highlight: Bernadette Bangura’s debut, back where it all began
A real highlight was seeing Bernadette Bangura make her debut at the same theatre where she used to work.
Bernadette has previously worked at Bournemouth Pavilion as part of the admin team, so seeing her step onto that stage in a brand-new role — at a venue she knows so well — was a brilliant moment.
You may also recognise her as playing the Fairy Godmother in Poole panto last year, so it was a joy to watch her take on this role for the first time here in Bournemouth. Her comedy timing was perfect and it was backed up by a powerhouse vocal. Bernadette was spectacular.
Run details:
Waitress is at Bournemouth Pavilion for one week only.
Dates and times listed:
- Tue 25 Aug – 7:30pm
- Wed 26 Aug – 2:30pm and 7:30pm
- Thu 27 Aug – 7:30pm
- Fri 28 Aug – 7:30pm
- Sat 29 Aug – 2:30pm and 7:30pm
More details: Bournemouth Pavilion Website
