Feature: WAITRESS Cast Announcement at Adelphi Theatre

On 21 May, it was announced that Lucie Jones (Rent, Les Misérables, Legally Blonde, Girlfriends) and Ashley Roberts (The Pussycat Dolls, Strictly Come Dancing) will be joining the cast of Waitress, the hit musical by Sara Bareilles, from 17 June.

Jones will take over from Katharine McPhee in the role of Jenna and Roberts will make her West End debut as her colleague Dawn, currently played by Laura Baldwin.

Jones is thrilled about portraying Jenna. "It's just such a treat to play someone so real. You rarely get to play these flawed characters who have real lives and real problems. We're talking about true stuff. We're talking about abusive relationships, unwanted pregnancy and affairs, and you don't get to play with this stuff very often."

Roberts is excited about showing her comic chops to London crowds. "The comedic timing of the show is just fantastic. And I'm excited to get in there and show a bit of my silly, fun side. My favourite thing about Dawn is that she's quirky and eccentric, and I'm excited to dive into that and show the quirkier side of me that people maybe haven't seen quite yet. The troll in my Charleston routine in Strictly was maybe the closest I've come to playing such a character."

Marisha Wallace, currently playing Becky, the third waitress in the show's central female trio, is excited to welcome some fresh faces to the show. "It's going to be like a completely different show, so if you've seen it already, come back and see it again. It'll have a whole new energy and new life because there's new people in it!"

The diner set at the Adelphi Theatre had a "Jones n' Roberts Delight Pie" written on the specials board, but it seems the trio aren't massive pie bakers themselves! Jones shared her favourite pie is the "Mermaid Marshmallow Pie" that Jenna makes in the show, while Roberts gushed over her aunt's "mean strawberry pie". Wallace, on the other hand, seems to prefer cheesecake, which she "always gets in trouble" for saying.

The duo looked absolutely made up about joining the show and can't wait to get stuck in and tell this story of bravery and baking!

Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre until 19 October, with Lucie Jones and Ashley Roberts joining from 17 June

Photo credit: Simon Turtle

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