Final Casting announced for UK Premiere of Waitress.

Posted on 11 January 2019

All the ingredients have been assembled and the oven is heating up! Final casting announcements were made for the highly anticipated, mouthwatering UK Premiere of Sara Bareilles’ Waitress, which starts serving up previews on 8 February at the Adelphi Theatre. The casting announcement featured the news that Shaun Prendergast is to join the company as Old Joe.

Actress Katharine McPhee is set to reprise her role as Jenna, having previously played the role on Broadway. She will be joined by Jack McBrayer, star of the American comedy series 30 Rock. Previously announced members of the cast include Peter Hannah, Marisha Wallace, Laura Baldwin and David Hunter.

Shaun Prendergast joins Waitress Cast

Shaun Prendergast will be joining the cast as Old Joe. Prendergast is no stranger to the stage or the silver screen. He is perhaps best known for his roles in television dramas like EastEnders and Waterloo Road but is also a veteran actor of the stage. He got his start on the stage in Kenneth Branagh's Renaissance Theatre Company where he worked with the likes of Dame Judi Dench and played roles in many Shakespeare classics. His more recent stage credits include Oh! What a Lovely WarThe Rise and Fall of Little VoiceGeordie the Musical and Cinderella. He is also an award-winning writer stage and screen.

Some familiar West End faces are also joining the Waitress cast, several of the newly announced cast members are currently playing, or have recently played on various West End stages. Stephen Leask, who recently starred in School of Rock as Dewey Finn, is joining the cast. We will also see Nicole Raquel Dennis, who recently had her final performance as Effie in Dreamgirls, a role which she covered as well as being a member of the ensemble. You may have seen Michael Hamway as part of the UK tour of Legally Blonde, or Nathaniel Morrison while he was in the Jersey Boys tour. Many of the new Waitress cast members are no stranger to appearing in fan favourite shows-- Kelly Agbowu just finished her work in The Book of Mormon and Olivia Moore was in Heathers while Leanne Pinder was in Strictly Ballroom.

Jenna doesn’t mind her job at the local diner, but she’s already got one foot out of her loveless marriage. The only thing that really makes her happy anymore is baking, and boy, can Jenna bake! With no changes in sight, Jenna decides that she needs a way out and a pie baking contest with a cash prize will be her new lease on life, but things don’t go exactly to plan.

Full Waitress Cast Announced

The full company includes Marisha Wallace, Charlotte Riby, Shaun Prendergast, Leanne Pinder, Sarah O'Connor, Nathaniel Morrison, Olivia Moore, Katharine McPhee, Chris McGuigan, Jack McBrayer, Stephen Leask, David Hunter, Peter Hannah, Michael Hamway, Nicole Raquel Dennis, Piers Bate, Laura Baldwin and Kelly Agbowu.


Waitress tickets are selling like hot cakes. Don’t miss your chance to see the scrumptious cast at London’s Adelphi Theatre. The show starts previews on 8 February and the run is currently slated to end on 25 March with the possibility of an extension. Book tickets to Waitress now to guarantee you’ll get a slice of heaven!

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Sarah Gengenbach

By Sarah Gengenbach

Sarah's love of theater was sparked by an enthusiastic drama teacher who wouldn't take no for an answer. These days she's much more comfortable in the audience than on the stage. She's an English teacher and enjoys reading and writing when she's not teaching or at the theater.