Character: Nina, the bride's old friend.
Suggested playing age: 20s–40s.
Tone: Comedic · a practical rescue becomes a personal request.
Length: 213 words; approximately 75–105 seconds.
Format: one woman addressing a silent listener.
The age range is a rehearsal suggestion. Time your own delivery with pauses. This is a complete original standalone piece, not an extract from a longer published play.
The Suppliers' Table: full monologue
Hold still. I can fix the button, but only if you stop rotating. You are not a display cake.
The flowers are here. The actual flowers. The first delivery was for a retirement lunch, and although 'Enjoy your freedom, Martin' was beautifully written, I thought you might want something less specific.
I've found the rings, the little boy carrying the rings and the shoe he put one of them in. Your aunt has agreed to stop asking the photographer for a passport picture. We are, against considerable odds, ready.
Just one thing. Why is my place card at the suppliers' table? I like the florist. We've been through a lot this morning. But I haven't come with an invoice.
No, don't cry. I've only got one tissue, and it's holding the button in place until the glue sets. I said I'd help because you're my friend. I'd also quite like to be your friend sitting down, eating something while it's hot.
Put me next to you for five minutes after the speeches. We can make faces at each other like we did in assembly. Then I'll let you go and be married.
There. Button fixed. I'll hold your bouquet while you stand up. Ready? Here, take it back. I'm walking in with you.
What is happening in the scene?
Minutes before the ceremony, the friend who has quietly fixed everything discovers that her place card is at the suppliers' table.
Speaking to: The bride, an old friend who is struggling with a button while asking for one more favor.
Immediate objective: Get herself included as a guest and friend, then get them both into the ceremony.
The change to explore: Nina stops offering solutions long enough to say what she would like for herself.
Acting questions
- Which tasks does Nina enjoy being good at, even while she complains?
- Has she planned to mention the place card, or does the next favor make her do it?
- How can she make a clear request without humiliating her friend?
- What changes when she briefly hands the bouquet back?
A rehearsal experiment
Rehearse while doing one simple, safe task such as folding a cloth. Notice where you need to stop the task to be heard. Keep only movements that clarify the relationship; the imagined button is a situation, not a requirement for elaborate miming.
Choose one response for the silent listener and let it affect your next thought. The recorded reading offers one interpretation; your performance can find a different pace, emphasis or relationship.
Rehearse The Suppliers' Table free
The real CueRoom interface opens with the exact text above divided into 7 thought beats. Use Practice my lines to recall the words, Listen to the recording to hear the prepared reading, or Prompt for the current beat. Bookmark a difficult transition and return to it.
No account, purchase or replay credits required. Replays and prompts use saved Studio recordings. The text and voice are fixed, and changes stay in this tab.
Rehearse this monologue free →
Manual advance and timed hands-free practice are available. Voice Control depends on your browser and optional microphone permission.
Learn the sequence of thoughts
Recall the repairs in order: button, flowers, rings, aunt. Then switch to the sequence of requests: place card, hot food, five minutes and walking in together. Learn the final exchange precisely so the object handoff makes sense.
Attempt each beat before revealing it, then check the exact wording. Once the separate beats hold, practice their joins and time a complete take. Use the monologue preparation plan for a deadline or the line-learning guide for a longer routine.
Choosing this piece for an audition or class
Check the brief before learning it: some auditions require a named published play, a particular period or a strict time limit. This piece is suitable where original standalone material is accepted. The free demo uses the full text; it does not create custom cuts.
Content: Wedding stress, friendship and feeling overlooked; no strong language.
You may use this CueRoom original for personal rehearsal, classes and auditions that permit original material. Do not republish or sell it as your own.
Build a contrasting pair
Try The Thursday Key for a different tone and immediate objective. Compare what each character is trying to get from her listener, rather than simply making one performance louder or sadder.
For a classical option, explore Portia’s appeal for mercy or Beatrice’s change of heart. Check that the pairing fits your audition’s requirements.
Browse all 18 monologues for women · Explore the monologue library
Want a speaking scene partner?
A monologue has one speaking character. To try choosing a role while CueRoom reads the other character, open The Last Train. Select Maya or Jules; both roles are already recorded.
Rehearse your own material in CueRoom
Keep using these prepared demos free. When you want to import scripts you have permission to use, choose reader voices and keep a personal script library, explore the full CueRoom app.
Considering this piece for an audition? Compare it with the audition monologue shortlist, including source requirements, time-limit checks and contrasting-pair suggestions.
Compare this original with the other contemporary monologue selections, with comic and dramatic situations and guidance on audition source requirements.