Interview with Sara Bareilles for Waitress UK and Ireland Tour

The smash hit romantic musical comedy WAITRESS returns to tour the UK and Ireland, coming to Sunderland Empire from Monday 4 – Saturday 9 May 2026.

With music and lyrics by Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, this beautiful musical celebrates friendship, motherhood, and the magic of a well-made pie.

We sat down with Sara Bareilles ahead of the tour to chat about the enduring appeal of Waitress, swapping albums for the stage, and the ingredients needed to make a hit musical.

Waitress has been seen on Broadway, the West End, international tours, and even the big screen. How do you feel the show has evolved over time?

What I love the most about seeing the show over time is how the audience’s relationship to it changes. It feels so warm in the theaters where this story is being told. So many people are no longer new to Waitress, they come with their own history and relationship to the show and the music, and you can really feel that familiarity in the room. Like they are seeing an old friend. It’s beautiful.

Do you recall the moment you realised you had something special on your hands?  

I remember the first time we had a small press showcase in New York. The video of Jessie Mueller singing She Used to be Mine went viral. Friends I hadn’t talked to in years reached out and sent the video to me and I remember feeling the power of this particular medium. How theater storytelling reaches people in a completely different way, especially in the hands of incredible artists, like the ones we have been so fortunate to collaborate with in our Waitress companies across these years.

Sugar, butter, flour – what do you think are the three main ingredients that have attributed to the musical’s success and longevity?

Heart, Humor, Community

Jenna’s story is both intimate and universal. What aspects of the musical resonate most with you today, all these years after the musical’s premiere?

I still love that this is not a musical about heroes and villains, but about messy people doing the best they can, making mistakes, finding redemption, and learning to lean on each other. I find it so human and timeless.

“She Used to Be Mine” has become a modern musical-theatre anthem. What does it mean to you to hear it sung by so many performers worldwide?

Truly this has been one of the most incredible gifts. I never imagined the song would take on such a life of its own, but the fact that it resonates so deeply and people find catharsis in sharing it is a profound joy. I think it’s testament to Adrienne Shelly’s storytelling and what moved in me because of her. Now it’s moving in others. That’s so special.

How did writing for a musical differ from writing for your albums? Did it change your relationship with storytelling in any way? 

I learned about two main things- one was freedom. Coming from an experience writing for records that are received in the commercial pop space, I hadn’t realized how limiting my perspective had been. It felt like anything could happen on the stage… stylistically, with humor, form, orchestrations, etc. It was so fun to play with style and not even subconsciously be thinking about “will they play this on the radio?”

Secondly, I really enjoyed writing from new perspectives and for different characters. I had only ever chronicled my own feelings in song, but this was a chance to find my way into the rich and complicated psyches of the characters who populated Adrienne Shelly’s imagined world. It was also liberating and deeply rewarding.

Has your work on Waitress influenced how you approach your music, or potential future theatre projects going forward? 

Waitress has made me bolder and more willing to take artistic risks. I feel like I learned so much from the process, from my collaborators, and from the stamina the whole experience requires that I am more myself because this show came into my life. That feeling of embodiment makes me feel more courageous to try other new things.

What do you hope audiences take away from the production? 

The heart. Our show is about flawed people who all deserve love. They, like the rest of us out here in the world, are doing the best they can. They don’t always get it right, but they persevere. That is really something.

You’re returning to writing for the stage with another musical – The Interestings (based on Meg Wolitzer’s 2013 novel).What drew you to this project in particular? Is there anything more you can tell us about this? 

We are deep in process in the making of this beautiful show. It is shapeshifting all the time, as new musicals can tend to do, but I am head over heels in love with this brilliant, hilarious, ache-filled novel and I’m praying we can just do it justice.

Finally, if you were to name a pie based on how you feel at this moment in your life/ career, what would it be?

Salty sour sweet pie

WAITRESS plays at Sunderland Empire Monday 4 – Saturday 9 May 2026. Tickets are available here.