UK and Ireland tour dates announced for hit musical Waitress as Carrie Hope Fletcher to lead Manchester run

Tickets for Waitress at Manchester Palace Theatre go on general sale tomorrow, starring West End favourite Carrie Hope Fletcher

Producers Barry & Fran Weissler and David Ian for Crossroads Live have confirmed that the smash hit romantic musical comedy Waitress will return to the UK and Ireland stage in 2026, including a stop at the Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 26 to Saturday 30 May 2026.

Award-winning West End star Carrie Hope Fletcher will take the lead role of Jenna for a limited run, with further casting announcements expected in due course.

Tickets go on general sale tomorrow at 10am via https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/palace-theatre-manchester/

Best known for her roles in Cinderella, Heathers, and Les Misérables, Fletcher currently stars in the UK and Ireland tour of Calamity Jane. Her work has earned her multiple WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best Actress in a Musical.

Waitress is based on the 2007 film written by Adrienne Shelly. The stage adaptation features original music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, with a book by Jessie Nelson, direction by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus, and choreography by Lorin Latarro.

After opening on Broadway in 2016, the musical went on to achieve international success, with productions staged in Japan, Canada, Holland, Mexico, and the West End. In the UK, it officially opened at London’s Adelphi Theatre in March 2019.

The story follows Jenna, an expert pie maker trapped in an unhappy marriage, who discovers new opportunities after entering a baking contest and meeting the town’s new doctor. With the help of her fellow waitresses, she begins to find the strength to rewrite her future.