Waitress brings Liam back to his home county

It’s going to be an emotional moment when Liam McHugh, one of the show’s swings, returns to the area with the musical Waitress (Theatre Royal Brighton, July 11-16).

The show tells the tale of Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of some happiness in her life. When a hot new doctor arrives in town, life gets complicated.

With the support of her workmates Becky and Dawn, Jenna overcomes the challenges she faces and finds that laughter, love and friendship can provide the perfect recipe…

Liam is loving being part of it.

“It is fantastic fun and it's an incredible story that was already a movie.

"And the music is the most incredible fusion of pop and musical theatre.

"The story has the most incredible highs and the most incredible lows.

"You've got laughter like you've never felt it before and then there are moments that make you go ‘Phoar!’

"It's a real rollercoaster. It is not just a simple story. I was a fan before I got the job so when I got the job I was just freaking out.

"We opened in Wimbledon in September last year, I believe, and we've only got a couple of months more to go. I'm loving it.

“I'm born and bred in Goring and I always sang as a child. I was a choral singer first. I used to be a chorister at Arundel Cathedral and I almost took a different turn.

"I almost went to Lancing College for choral music but in the end I stayed at Durrington High and I did the sixth form in Chichester College. It was great at the college and then I went onto Performers College.

"I left early. I managed to get a job in We Will Rock You and I graduated in 2016.

“Thankfully I've been working ever since though obviously unfortunately not during the pandemic but that led to me becoming a teacher with special needs children.

"SEN was always something close to my heart.

"I lost my parents growing up and that was part of my mother’s job. As performers we all have other jobs like teaching or bar work or whatever but I work with the special needs children. I just have that connection with my mum which is really nice.”

And that's what he was doing when he got the news of the Waitress job.

"My Apple Watch pinged and the message was from my agent and said ‘Call me!’ and I thought that's not a message I've had for a long time! Waitress was my first time on stage for almost two years and it's just amazing to come back to it.

“And it has been amazing to see the way theatre has got back on its feet.

"I am swing so that means that I cover a couple of the lead guys and quite often I'm just watching and listening and it just never gets old.

"I never get tired of it. It's a brilliant show.”