Natalie Bassingthwaighte Leads Cast Of The Highly Anticipated Australian Premiere Of Waitress

Waitress was a massive musical hit on Broadway for almost four years, before going on to similar success in the West End and elsewhere around the world – and is coming to Australia for seasons in Sydney and Melbourne.

And we’ve just been gifted with a cast announcement, featuring legends of Australian stage and screen.

Leading the cast as Jenna will be Natalie Bassingthwaighte (Chicago, Shirley Valentine), while Gabriyel Thomas (Cats, Sister Act) and Mackenzie Dunn (Grease, Annie) play Becky and Dawn, Jenna’s coworkers at the diner. Charismatic star of stage and screen Rob Mills (& Juliet, Wicked) will play Dr Pomatter, and legendary actor John Waters (The Woman in Black, Play School) will be Joe, the owner of the diner.

The story follows Jenna, the titular waitress and expert pie maker, who longs for a new life away from her husband and depressing small-town circumstances, who enters a new romance which provides a tantalising taste of change. Come for the many pie-based metaphors for life, stay for the ridiculously catchy and compelling songs.

Inspired by Adrienne Shelly’s film of the same name, and brought to life by a trailblazing female-led creative team, an uplifting score by Grammy® winner Sara Bareilles (Love Song, Brave) and direction by Tony winner Diane Paulus, Waitress is a touching and humorous musical about hope and new-beginnings.

If there’s anyone who knows about new beginnings it’s star Natalie Bassingthwaighte, who as an iconic triple threat has worked as as a solo musician as well as the singer for the band Rogue Traders, a TV star with many hosting gigs and a long-time role on Neighbours, and as a musical performer. She has been most recently lauded for her performance on stage in the title role of Shirley Valentine, Roxie in Chicago, Mary-Jane in Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill, Sandy in Grease and Florence Vassy in Chess. She also announced in October 2025 her engagement to girlfriend Pip Loth.

Waitress will light up Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne from 1 May, and the Sydney Lyric Theatre from 1 August. Tickets are now on sale at WaitresstheMusical.com.au .