diff --git a/AccessQueuePlayground/Program.cs b/AccessQueuePlayground/Program.cs
index f00ab40..349e337 100644
--- a/AccessQueuePlayground/Program.cs
+++ b/AccessQueuePlayground/Program.cs
@@ -19,7 +19,15 @@ builder.Host.UseSerilog((context, services, configuration) =>
 // Add services to the container.
 builder.Services.AddRazorComponents()
     .AddInteractiveServerComponents();
-builder.Services.AddSingleton<IAccessService, AccessService>();
+if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(builder.Configuration["AccessQueuePlayground:ServiceUrl"]))
+{
+    builder.Services.AddSingleton<IAccessService, AccessService>();
+}
+else
+{
+    builder.Services.AddHttpClient();
+    builder.Services.AddSingleton<IAccessService, AccessQueueApiService>();
+}
 builder.Services.AddSingleton<IAccessQueueRepo, TakeANumberAccessQueueRepo>();
 builder.Services.AddSingleton<IAccessQueueManager, AccessQueueManager>();
 builder.Services.AddHostedService<AccessQueueBackgroundService>();
diff --git a/AccessQueuePlayground/Services/AccessQueueApiService.cs b/AccessQueuePlayground/Services/AccessQueueApiService.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..640c869
--- /dev/null
+++ b/AccessQueuePlayground/Services/AccessQueueApiService.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+using System.Net.Http;
+using System.Net.Http.Json;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration;
+using AccessQueueService.Models;
+using AccessQueueService.Services;
+
+namespace AccessQueuePlayground.Services
+{
+    public class AccessQueueApiService : IAccessService
+    {
+        private readonly HttpClient _httpClient;
+        private readonly string _serviceUrl;
+
+        public AccessQueueStatus Status => throw new NotImplementedException();
+
+        public AccessQueueApiService(HttpClient httpClient, IConfiguration config)
+        {
+            _httpClient = httpClient;
+            _serviceUrl = config["AccessQueuePlayground:ServiceUrl"]?.TrimEnd('/') ?? "https://localhost:7291";
+        }
+
+        public async Task<AccessResponse> RequestAccess(string userId)
+        {
+            return await _httpClient.GetFromJsonAsync<AccessResponse>($"{_serviceUrl}/access/{userId}");
+        }
+
+        public async Task<bool> RevokeAccess(string userId)
+        {
+            var response = await _httpClient.DeleteAsync($"{_serviceUrl}/access/{userId}");
+            if (response.IsSuccessStatusCode)
+            {
+                var result = await response.Content.ReadFromJsonAsync<bool>();
+                return result;
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        public Task<int> DeleteExpiredTickets()
+        {
+            throw new NotImplementedException();
+        }
+
+        public AccessQueueConfig GetConfiguration()
+        {
+            return _httpClient.GetFromJsonAsync<AccessQueueConfig>($"{_serviceUrl}/config").Result;
+        }
+
+        public void UpdateConfiguration(AccessQueueConfig config)
+        {
+            _ = _httpClient.PostAsJsonAsync($"{_serviceUrl}/config", config).Result;
+        }
+
+        public void PatchConfiguration(AccessQueueConfig partialConfig)
+        {
+            throw new NotImplementedException();
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/AccessQueuePlayground/appsettings.json b/AccessQueuePlayground/appsettings.json
index 9cfd1aa..65e1393 100644
--- a/AccessQueuePlayground/appsettings.json
+++ b/AccessQueuePlayground/appsettings.json
@@ -6,13 +6,14 @@
         }
     },
     "AccessQueue": {
-        "CapacityLimit": 3, // Maximum number of active users
-        "ActivitySeconds": 2, // Time since last access before a user is considered inactive
-        "ExpirationSeconds": 10, // 12 hours - Time before a user access is revoked
-        "RollingExpiration": true // Whether to extend expiration time on access
+        "CapacityLimit": 3,
+        "ActivitySeconds": 2,
+        "ExpirationSeconds": 10,
+        "RollingExpiration": true
     },
     "AccessQueuePlayground": {
-        "RefreshRateMilliseconds": 200 // How often to re-request access and update the UI
+        "RefreshRateMilliseconds": 200,
+        "ServiceUrl": "https://localhost:7291/"
     },
     "AllowedHosts": "*"
 }
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c6b2e57..ddcd47d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ Test results will be displayed in the terminal. You can also use Visual Studio's
 
 The `AccessQueuePlayground` project provides a simple web-based UI for interacting with the AccessQueueService API. This is useful for testing and demonstration purposes.
 
-### Running the Playground
+### Running
 
 1. Build and run the playground project:
    ```powershell
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ The `AccessQueuePlayground` project provides a simple web-based UI for interacti
    - HTTPS: https://localhost:7211
    (See `AccessQueuePlayground/Properties/launchSettings.json` for details.)
 
-### Using the Playground
+### Using
 
 - Open the provided URL in your browser.
 - Use the UI to request and revoke access for different user IDs.
@@ -174,5 +174,32 @@ The `AccessQueuePlayground` project provides a simple web-based UI for interacti
 
 This playground is intended only for local development and demonstration.
 
+### Configuring
+
+The `AccessQueuePlayground` project can be configured via its `appsettings.json` file. The main options are:
+
+- **RefreshRateMilliseconds**: Determines how often (in milliseconds) the playground requests access for all active users and updates the UI. Lower values provide more real-time updates but may increase load on the service.
+- **ServiceUrl**: The URL of the AccessQueueService API to use. If this is set, all API requests from the playground will be sent to the specified service URL (e.g., `https://localhost:7291/`).
+  - If `ServiceUrl` is **not provided**, the playground will use an internal instance of AccessQueueService, configured using the playground's own `appsettings.json` values under the `AccessQueue` section. This is useful for local development and testing without running the service separately.
+
+Example configuration in `AccessQueuePlayground/appsettings.json`:
+
+```json
+{
+  "AccessQueuePlayground": {
+    "RefreshRateMilliseconds": 200,
+    "ServiceUrl": "https://localhost:7291/"
+  },
+  "AccessQueue": {
+    "CapacityLimit": 3,
+    "ActivitySeconds": 2,
+    "ExpirationSeconds": 10,
+    "RollingExpiration": true
+  }
+}
+```
+
+> **Tip:** Adjust `RefreshRateMilliseconds` for your use case. For most demos, 100–500ms works well. If you are connecting to a remote or production AccessQueueService, consider increasing the refresh interval (e.g., 1000ms or higher) to account for network latency and reduce unnecessary load.
+
 ## License
 See [LICENSE.txt](./LICENSE.txt) for license information.
\ No newline at end of file