THE KITCHEN

AUTHOR: ARNOLD WESTKER

TITTLE: THE KITCHEN

EDITORIAL: FABER AND FABER

YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 1957

PLACE OF PUBLICATION: LONDON

CHARACTERS:

MAGNOLIS

He is the doorman of the cook

ALFRED

He is an old chef. He is 65 years old but he seems younger.

MAX

He is a porter of the restaurant at night

PAUL AND RAIMON

They are the two pastry cooks.

JACKIE, CYNTHIA, MOLLY, DAPHNE, GWEN, VIOLET, BETTY, WINNIE AND HETTIE

They are the nine waitresses

THE CHEF

He is 59 years old he prepare the menu

MONIQUE AND PETTER

They are a couple, he discusses with everybody

GASTON

He fights with Peter. He is Nicholas’s friend.

ANNE

She is Nicholas’s aunt. She is Irish and she is 35 years old. She does the desserts.

 

DIMITRI

He is the kitchen's doorman too.  He is handsome and very intelligent.

BERTHA

She does vegetable's plates. She is very lovely.

HARRY

He is the head waiter

KEVIN

He is the new cook. He is 22 years old and he is Irish.

FRANK

He is the second chef he the things about the war.

HANS AND MICHAEL

They do the omelettes and the soups. They are 18 and 19 years old.

MR MARANGO

He is the owner of the restaurant and he has advantages with his power.

 SUMMARY

In the kitchen of the restaurant waitresses and porters beginning the day by preparing to serve lunch. When the day begins everyone gets busier. Kevin gets a round trip through the kitchen. Peter is having a love affair with Monique. Monique is married and she still hasn’t told her husband she will leave him. She promises Peter to tell his later. At the end of part one there is a great rush in the kitchen.

 The second part is a period was a few characters are talking about their dreams, or lack of, of a better life. The third part is everyone comes back for the evening serving. Peter and Monique talk more with each other than in the first act.  He asks her again if she has talked to her husband, Monty, about divorcing him. She hasn’t and tells he is going to buy a house for her. Peter loses his temper against Violet and smashes with a chopper the gas leads to the ovens and all the fires die. After this he walks to the dining hall and we hear him sweeping the plates from the table. Before Peter is taken away by an ambulance, mister Marango asks terribly calm why Peter has stopped his world.

SPACE

The play happens in the kitchen of the restaurant.

LANGUAGE

The author uses colloquial language where sometimes some vulgar words appear.

PERSONAL OPINION

I think that the author is clear in his dialogues with the language used.