1 Million Served- Years Well Waitressed
Reviewed by Marianne Daly
The vibe of 1 million Served- Years Well Waitressed is friendly and informal.
Wanda makes a strong start, putting the audience into the role of customers waiting to be served, she's in character as a very busy, and conscientious waitress, who will be with us in a minute. The stage has a simple set, with table and chairs with an open menu for “Wanda's Place" on the table. The chairs are old and one is broken. The busy waitress takes off her apron and sits down to chat, reminiscing about her first waitressing experiences serving Grumpy Grandma. Wanda Caroll is charming, and funny with a sincere interest in connecting with people that shines bright. There was much to enjoy at the almost sold out opening night show, especially the delicious homemade cookies she served!
The audience laughed a lot and enjoyed Wanda's anecdotes. A few favourites were how she enjoyed bringing pretentiousness, back down to Earth Wanda is the waitress that you would choose to sit in her section.
This show was the most literal version of a solo show, as it had no director or dramaturg and no tech assistant. This added to the feeling that this is a work in progress. She jumped to and fro on a variety of waitressing related topics, checked her notes behind the menu, and sat down at the table mid show for the audience to ask her questions.
Wanda's good humour, quick wittedness, improv experience and genuine likeability made this a very pleasant way to spend an hour. The show is best suited to a mature audience, and there's a fair bit of coarse language, so be forewarned if that bothers you.
Wanda's down to earth demeanor and genuine desire to connect with people made
spending an hour in her presence delightful.
I was glad that I sat near the front because I found her speaking voice sometimes soft for the stage. Wanda mentioned “giving this show legs" so it's possible that she'll continue developing this show over the course of its run at Hamilton Fringe.
Age Suitability: Mature (ages 18+)
Warnings: Sexual Content, Coarse Language
Venue: The Staircase | Elaine May
Genre: Storytelling/Solo Show
Creator & Performer:
Wanda Carroll
