WAITRESS is not a conventional musical.
When your two romantic leads are both married - to other people - you might find it a struggle to like them. Especially when the main protagonist is pregnant, reluctantly, by a husband she loathes, and is having a passionate affair with her gynaecologist.
But, despite the slight 'ick' factor of it all, it's a bittersweet recipe that works. This is a surprisingly sweet and touching show about hope, friendship and following your dream.
With music and lyrics by American singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson based on the 2007 film written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, Waitress made history as the first show on Broadway with an all-female creative team.
It's ultimately a celebration of women - female friendship, maternal love, ambition and independence.
I knew little about this show, and none of the music, when I saw it at the Alhambra this week, and I left with the songs buzzing round in my head. The score is delightful - the cast is accompanied by a great little folksy band on stage, performing the kind of songs you'd hear on a car radio on a US road trip, and they work beautifully in this show, set in a small town Midwest diner.
With a great set, largely in the diner, and some stirring dream sequences, it was a visual treat too.
At the heart of the story is Jenna, stuck in an unhappy marriage, who has a talent for baking pies - and a habit of naming them after her feelings. 'My Eggs Have Betrayed Me Pie' is what she chalks onto the specials board at the diner where she waits tables when she discovers, to her dismay, that she's pregnant.
There seems little escape from her controlling husband, Earl - who insists she hands over her tips to him after every shift - but soon Jenna is baking pies for the town’s charming new medic, Dr Pomatter.
With most romantic musicals, you can see what's coming pretty early on, but Waitress is quirky and unpredictable. It’s about finding love - but in places you might not expect to.
Chelsea Halfpenny shines as Jenna; blending sassy charm with vulnerability. She's a young woman who knows what she wants, but finds it out of reach. When it finally looks like she might just get there, it's a "Go girl!" moment that had the young woman in front of me almost leaping to her feet.
I knew Chelsea from Emmerdale but had no idea she's such a talented singer. Her fabulous performance of fan favourite She Used To Be Mine was a moving highlight.
Jenna shares her woes with fellow waitresses; no-nonsense Becky, played by the terrific Wendy Mae Brown, and nerdy Dawn, a hilarious performance from Evelyn Hoskins.
While the show doesn't shy from the reality of a violent relationship, the drudgery of life as a carer, and the loneliness of old age, it is at heart as warm and sweet as one of Jenna's home-baked pies.
And while it's very much a female-led show, the men are largely endearing too. I totally fell for goofy Dr Pomatter, thanks to a lovely performance, with flawless coming timing, by David Hunter. His duet with Jenna, You Matter To Me, was another touching highlight.
And the always excellent Michael Starke lit up the stage as old school gent Joe - his performance of Take It From An Old Man was exquisite.
Great performances too from George Crawford as eccentric Ogie, Christopher D Hut as diner boss Cal, Tamlyn Henderson as abusive Earl and Amelia Atherton as Nurse Norma.
Funny, sexy, moving, life-affirming, and totally deserving of its standing ovation at the Alhambra. This is the best show I've seen in a long time.
* Waitress Runs at the Alhambra until Saturday.
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