A witty and sharp script with poignant messages
‘Service Please’, a fifty minute monologue from the perspective of a writer-turned-waitress, is a show with fantastic potential. Oscillating wonderfully between heartwrenching and comic, the protagonist, Lara, regales the audience with her experiences of her first ‘real’ job, and the ways in which the mounting pressure of reality becomes an obstacle for fantasy writing.
Constance Peele’s script is beautiful. Detailing the painful journey of taking a job you don’t really want, but need to survive, ‘Service Please’ is an ode for all creatives – or indeed anyone who has worked a job not for passion, but for profit. While at times, the acting of emotional breakdown falls short of the script’s intentions, Peele has a talent for making herself look small onstage in moments of tragedy. There are occasional funny moments that channel Gordon Ramsay himself, though Peele’s true talent lies in making the audience sympathise with the character she portrays.
Peele’s clever use of Lara’s original character, Amara, to represent Lara’s true self, is really marvellous, a clever piece of scriptwork. The theme of reality against fantasy stands out as a unique selling point for this show, as does the fact that Lara’s story becomes infinitely more compelling than the character she tries to write!
Overall, ‘Service Please’ was a joy to watch, even if moments of tension and sorrow could have been built upon more. Clever, compelling, and complex, Peele is a writer to watch out for in future productions.
‘Service Please’ is a production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival between the 19th and 23rd of August. Tickets are available here: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/service-please.