The Food Chain

by Nicky Silver

Amanda, an anorexic poet of some pretensions, has been married for three weeks, but her husband, Ford, has been missing for two. She calls a crisis hot line and reaches Bea, a volunteer. Bea's answer to Amanda's problems is to diminish them by complaining about her own deceased husband's inattentiveness, her son's embarrassing nature, and also to dispense hilarious (but useless) advice. Just as Amanda nears her wit's end, Ford walks in so she simply hangs up on Bea. Meanwhile, across town, Serge, a completely vain runway model, paces as he waits for the arrival of his latest paramour. He is intruded upon by a former one-night stand, Otto, who worships him and who tips the scales at about three hundred pounds. Otto tortures, harangues and cajoles Serge while swilling Yoo-hoo, eating junk food and taking phone calls from his mother until Serge can take no more. Serge explodes but is interrupted by a phone call his new lover will not be coming. This leaves Serge and Otto in the same state: Both are now victims of fickle romance. The scene shifts back to Amanda's at the crack of dawn. Serge is banging on the door, looking for his lover, surprising Amanda. It was with Serge that Ford had spent his lost two honeymoon weeks. Having followed Serge, it isn't long until Otto shows up, with breakfast, threatening suicide. Next to arrive is Bea, furious at Amanda for hanging up on her as Bea does not tolerate rudeness. As riotous chaos builds, we learn that Bea is Otto's mother, that Otto and Amanda are old school friends, that Serge will settle for both Amanda and Ford and that Ford has absolutely nothing to say. Bea takes charge and offers a solution. Although short on practicality, it is longon pleasure.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Matty S.]

Silver doesn’t so much write plays as orchestrate collisions. The Food Chain begins with a phone call and spirals into a cacophony of loneliness, narcissism, and desperate need, each character gnawing at the others like predators in a brightly lit jungle. It’s a comedy of hunger—emotional, sexual, existential—and Silver makes sure no one leaves the stage without teeth marks.
What makes it work is the precision beneath the chaos. The absurd monologues, the grotesque confessions, the relentless interruptions—they’re not just noise, they’re anatomy lessons in human need. Silver exposes the emptiness of self-absorption with a grin, reminding us that the apex predators aren’t lions or sharks, but people trapped in endless soliloquies to no one in particular. It’s sharp, funny, and unsettling, proof that Silver’s best trick is turning dysfunction into spectacle without ever losing the bite.

[Allison Dewberry]

Just not it. So rushed and trying to be funny. The characters have no depth and don't mesh well.

[Belle]

Biting satire

[Amy Brown]

I thought it was a funny play in the sense of absurdity but I can do without the homophobic name calling by the lead female character towards the end of it. That said, none of these characters are stable and that's what makes it funny. It'd be a fun role, but the F word to me feels really uncomfortable and I would be hesitant to act it.

[Samantha]

Hilarious, but definitely a product of its time (mid 90s). Would need a PC update to play nowadays or risk pissing off audiences. But nevertheless smart, clever, and fascinating to watch unfold. Could do without some terminology and the fatphobia.

[Scott]

Meh. Good banter. Funny at times. But I didn’t find myself caring about any of the characters.

[Sadie]

Nicky Silver is and always will be one of my favorite playwrights. He is the most absurd and wonderful playwright I can think of and I absolutely adore him. I directed the opening scene from "The Food Chain" as part of a project in a directing class. Funny stuff.

[Jeremy Hurd-McKenney]

Funny in places, but mostly monotonous and stupid. Silver has definitely written better plays. This was pretty much interchangeable with any comedy written 20 years ago, when only snooty white people went to the theater.

[Dorothy]

Smart, dark and somewhat kinky but I liked it.
Reminded me of Roald Dahl only naughtier.

[Letitia]

Would love to see a good production of this, hysterical, I'm sure.