Asking for a cup of coffee

Asking for a cup of coffee

CAST

Narrators/customers 1974  (3)

Customer 1974

Waitress 1974

Narrator/customers 2014  (5)

Waitresses 2014  (Maisie.Jo, Suzie)  (3)

Customer 2014

Signholder

(Two  persons responsible for props)

(Two persons responsible for programmes and for set)

1974

Narrators Customer All Waitress Customer Waitress Customer Narrators Customer All Customer All Maisie Jo Suzie Maisie Jo Suzie Customer Maisie Customer Waitresses Customer Waitresses Customer Jo Customer Waitresses Customer Maisie Customer Jo Customer Suzie Customer Maisie Customer Jo Customer Waitresses Customer Maisie Customer Jo Customer Suzie Customer Maisie Customer Waitresses Customer

English cafés have changed quite a bit. // Here is a typical scene from a coffee shop // about forty years ago. (The waitress stands behind a counter.  Signholder holds up a sign saying ”Typical English café 1974”.  The customer enters.  There are six other customers already seated at tables.) Good morning! Good morning! Good day, sir.  Can I help you? Yes, please.  I’d like a cup of coffee. Certainly, sir.  (She puts some instant coffee in a cup, adds water and hands it to the customer.)   That will be three pence halfpenny, please, sir. Right you are.  Thank you.  (He pays, takes the coffee and walks off.) 2014 I think you’ll agree that //since then things have become a bit more interesting//, and a lot more expensive.  //  Here is a similar scene // in a coffee bar in 2014. (The waitress stands behind a counter.  Signholder holds up a sign which says ”Typical English coffee bar 2014”.  The customer enters. There are several other customers already seated at tables.) Hi! Hi! Have a nice day! Have a nice day! Hi.  I´m Maisie. I’m Jo. And I’m Suzie We’re the...  Coffee 4U Team. How can we be of assistance? Could I have a cup of coffee, please? Certainly sir.  What kind of coffee? Er, what have you got? We have frappé, latte, // mocha, cappuchino, frappuchino, //americano, espresso ... Er ... Then there is macchiato, // cortado, melya, Irish, // Indian or Kenyan ... Look, I just want a cup of coffee, please.  Ordinary coffee. Well, we’ve got frappé, latte, mocha ... OK, I’ll have a latte. OK, fine, no problem.  // Mini, small, large, extra large, //super large, or perhaps  regular? A regular? Or you could have a triplino? What’s a triplino? It’s three times as big. As what? As a super large, and that’s seriously big. Too big for me them.  How big is a regular? It’s half the size of a super large. OK, I’ll have a regular. No problem.  Regular coming up.  Is that a skinny? Sorry? That’s with low fat milk. //You can have a skinny regular// or a regular regular with full fat milk. A regular regular, then. With sugar? Yes, please. OK, we’ve got cane sugar, caster sugar, demerara sugar and sugar free sugar. Cane sugar, please. Anything else. I’m scared to ask. OK, that’s four pounds, please. That’s more than I thought.  (He searches in his pockets.) Do you take cards? Yes, sir.  We welcome cards. That’s great.  I’ve got Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Diners, M and S Visa, Tesco, Bank of Scotland, Natwest Visa, Lloyds, Barclaycard, Santander ...