YouTube star, filmmaker, author, vlogger and 2018 Strictly Come Dancing finalist Joe Sugg will make his stage debut in Waitress from 9 September. He will join the West End cast in the role of Ogie, taking over from Blake Harrison (The Inbetweeners), who will make his final performance on Saturday 7 September.
Joe is a British YouTuber, filmmaker, author and vlogger, with over 27 million followers across all social media channels. His videos consist of challenges, pranks, impressions and gaming, across his three YouTube channels. Joe is the author of the tremendously successful graphic novel series ‘Username’, which was the fastest-selling graphic novel of all time. He also wrote, starred and executive produced the travelogue specials ‘Joe and Caspar: Hit the Road’ and ‘Hit the Road USA’, with Caspar Lee. Most recently, Joe was a finalist on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Joe said: “I’m so excited I’ve been given the opportunity to play Ogie in Waitress starting the 9th September. I got to see the show a couple of months back and it’s absolutely fantastic. I’m excited to be a part of the cast and to have now landed a role in the West End really has topped off an incredible year for me. I hope I do everyone proud and thanks to all my supporters for making it all possible and the best year yet.”
Alongside Joe as Ogie, Waitress stars Lucie Jones as Jenna, Laura Baldwin as Dawn, Marisha Wallace as Becky, Peter Hannah as Earl, David Hunter as Dr. Pomatter and Andrew Boyer as Old Joe.
The full company includes Kelly Agbowu, Laura Baldwin, Piers Bate, Andrew Boyer, Nicole Raquel Dennis, Michael Hamway, Peter Hannah, David Hunter, Lucie Jones, Stephen Leask, Chris McGuigan, Olivia Moore, Nathaniel Morrison, Sarah O’Connor, Leanne Pinder, Charlotte Riby, Joe Sugg, Marisha Wallace and Mark Willshire.
Waitress features an original score by 7-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles (Love Song, Brave), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and direction by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Finding Neverland) and choreography by Lorin Latarro. The production is currently touring the US and has also announced it will have its Australian premiere in 2020 at the Sydney Lyric Theatre.
The show premiered on Broadway in March 2016 and has since become the longest-running show in the history of the Brooks Atkinson Theater. The production is also currently touring the US and Canada and has announced an Australian premiere in 2020 at the Sydney Lyric Theatre with further productions to open in Holland next year and Japan in 2021.
Waitress was recently extended by popular demand, and is now booking through Christmas and New Year to 4 January 2020.