Explore this Show

Overview

Synopsis

Arnold Wesker’s groundbreaking play is set in the basement kitchen of the Tivoli, a large and busy London restaurant with a high, frantic turnover of both customers and staff. An international melange of chefs, waitresses and porters set up for the day as they prepare to serve lunch. The pace builds and tempers flare as the cooks butt heads, the waitresses chase their orders, and the beers are downed to get through the day. In the midst of the chaos, Peter, a high-spirited, young German chef carries out a doomed, tumultuous love affair with married English waitress, Monique. When he finally realizes that she will never leave her husband, something in Peter snaps and he destroys the gas leads to the kitchen ovens. Hurt and bewildered by his employee’s actions, restaurant owner Mr Marango is left to wonder what more his workers need in their lives other than employment, money, and food.

The Kitchen was the first British play to dramatize the relentless rhythm and toil of the working day and portray a kind of mechanized hell in which hundreds of meals must be served in a short space of time.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1957
Genres
Drama
Settings
Period, Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
The kitchen of a busy London restaurant, 1950s
Cast Size
large
Ideal For
Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Large Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen, Elderly Characters

Context

Sorry, we currently do not have content for this section.

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Peter

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Hans

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Monique

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Paul

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Kevin

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Max

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Raymond

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Dimitri

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Alfredo

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Gaston

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Michael

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Nicholas

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Frank

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

First Chef

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Eight Waitresses

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Mr. Marango

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Magi

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Mangolis

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Anne

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Bertha

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Head Waiter

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Tramp

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Songs

Sorry, we currently do not have content for this section.

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

All monologues are the property and copyright of their owners.. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Quote Analysis

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Guide Written By:

Alexandra Appleton

Alexandra Appleton

Writer, editor and theatre researcher