The Kitchen

Arnold Wesker

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781849430272
• eBook ISBN: 9781849437578
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

Arnold Wesker's perennially popular play The Kitchen will be revived at the National Theatre in October 2011.Set in the basement kitchen of a large restaurant, thirty chefs, waitresses, and kitchen porters, slowly begin the day preparing to serve lunch. The central story tells of a frustrated love affair between a high-spirited, young, German chef, Peter, and a married English waitress, Monique.

Part One

There is no curtain. The kitchen is always there. In semi-darkness.

The night porter, MAGI, enters, stretches, looks at his watch, registers with distaste where he is. It is seven in the morning.

He ‘lights’ a taper, ‘fires’ the first of the seven ovens. Each oven explodes into a burn. With each burn comes more light.

Light and sound accumulate. The kitchen’s hum builds to a small roar – a battle with dialogue to the end.¹

MAGI lights the fourth oven – MAX enters.

MAGI: Morning, Max.

MAX grunts, goes directly to the cold-cupboard,

collects a bottle of beer, opens and drinks.

MAGI lights the last oven – BERTHA enters.

BERTHA: Good morning, Magi.

MAGI: Morning, Bertha.

BERTHA: Good morning, Max.

MAX belches.

Enter HETTIE and VIOLET from street, en route to changing room.

HETTIE: What bloody agency found you this job?

VIOLET: A very respectable agency, I thought.

HETTIE: Well you thought
wrong, didn’t you!

BERTHA needs help with a full pot.

BERTHA: Hey, Magi, give us a hand with this.

MAGI: OK, love.

BETTY and WINNIE enter en route to changing room, pausing to glance at the day’s menu chalked on a board.

BETTY: I can’t help it, weather affects me.

WINNIE: I never let anything affect me…

BETTY: Everything affects me…

WINNIE: Life’s too short.

BETTY: …music affects me, neighbours affect me…

WINNIE: Problem is, I don’t get very angry with anything.

BETTY: …this bloody kitchen affects me with its bloody boring menu.

WINNIE: But I don’t get very happy at anything either, know what I mean?

They’ve gone.

During next moments MANGOLIS comes on and off depositing dustbins in various positions.

MAGI: Bertha –

BERTHA: Yes?

MAGI: I’ve got a confession –

BERTHA: So early?

MAGI: – that ten shillings…

BERTHA: You haven’t got it? So you haven’t got it! You emigrating?

MAGI: No.

BERTHA: Then I’ll wait.

MAGI: You’re a good girl, Bertha.

BERTHA: Good – I am, but a girl?

MAGI: Go on, I could fancy you.

BERTHA: Fancy? Boy, I’d crack you in a crunch. Crrrrrunch!

MAGI: Bertha, you worry me.

BERTHA: I worry him.

PAUL and RAYMOND from the changing room make for their corner, tools in hand.

PAUL: (To the world.) Good morning, good morning. (To BERTHA.) Morning, me old darling.

BERTHA: Morning.

PAUL: (To MAX.) And to you, Max.

MAX: (Soul not yet returned.) Mornin’.

RAYMOND: Max, it’s escallop of veal on today?

MAX: How many?

RAYMOND: Three. I’ll take them now and put them in my box, before the others get here.

GASTON followed by DIMITRI enter en route for changing room.

RAYMOND, noticing GASTON’s black eye, whistles.

GASTON glares.

DIMITRI gestures RAYMOND to desist.

MAX: (Handing RAYMOND the escallops.) And don’t forget my puff pastry tomorrow.

RAYMOND: Usual?

MAX: A little extra. My wife’s family is coming for Sunday lunch. Magi, give us a hand.

MAGI helps MAX carry tray of beef to ALFREDO’s station.

KEVIN enters, lost.

New cook?

KEVIN New cook.

MAX: Changing room’s there.

KEVIN moves to changing rooms.

PAUL: (To RAYMOND.) Don’t forget it’s Religieuse today.

RAYMOND: (Saluting.) Aye, aye, Commandant! But please let me make them? All week I’ve been making fruit bands, fruit bands! All week.

PAUL: Alright, alright – Christ! you’re a nag.

HETTIE and VIOLET en route to the dining room.

VIOLET is new, and aghast at what she’s walking through.

HETTIE: Follow me to the dining-room.

VIOLET: I’m not used ...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half-title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Characters
• Part One
• Interlude
• Part Two