Review: The Price (Marylebone Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

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Though you’re never seemingly far away from an Arthur Miller play, there seems to have been an influx of them in London in recent months, with the acclaimed and Olivier Award-winning production of All My Sons, and the recent production of Broken Glass at the Young Vic, both reminding audiences of the power and timeless nature of his writing. In a new direction for Marylebone Theatre, which has had a stunning year with premieres of original writing, they present a powerful new production of one of Miller’s lesser-revived plays, The Price. But when it comes to the proven quality of this theatre, would this daring new direction come at too high a cost?

Debuting in 1968, The Price is set in a cluttered New York attic, where two estranged brothers reunite as they prepare to sell their late father’s possessions. What initially seemed to be a simple transaction soon provoked unexpected reactions as demons from their past, family secrets and decades of things left unsaid all came out into the open. While the brothers attempt to find a fair price for their father’s furniture, the real question at the heart of Arthur Miller’s family drama is: What is the price of the choices we make?

Though the play is set in New York in 1968, there is a timelessness to Arthur Miller’s writing that transcends both space and time. Acting both as a snapshot into a world long evolved, before family members could simply hop on the Internet to sell furniture, certain themes present in the show remain as relevant and resonant today as they did nearly 60 years ago. The grief, resentment and inner turmoil that can appear within families when a parent passes away remain as complex and astonishing today. Miller had a great knack for capturing the complexities of these emotions, often writing from his own experiences and transporting them into relatable yet not directly autobiographical situations, and The Price is among the finest I have seen of his plays.

The Price mixes different tones, with comedy coming from the most surprising of places, blending the serious themes that reveal themselves as the play progresses. At its heart, The Price delves into what can be inherited from our parents - it isn’t just their furniture, it can be the things they instilled in us from an early age, the path they led us on and the unknowing way it influenced us - often in unknowing and even manipulative measures. It is the way Arthur Miller fills his plays with themes as poignant, powerful and thought-provoking as the ones present here that keeps producers putting them on consistently and frequently.

A play is only as good as its direction, however. Thankfully, The Price is in safe hands. Jonathan Munby’s love and understanding of the play is clear to see, with his vision perfectly complementing that of Miller’s original. The heart of the story is never lost, the darker elements are never shied away from, and the comedy is always delivered perfectly. Sometimes, such extremities in a play can result in a jarring clash of tone, but Munby’s direction handles this conflict with ease.

With the entirety of the play taking place in one room - the cluttered attic, Jon Bausor has more than delivered with his meticulously detailed set design. Walking into Marylebone Theatre, the busyness of the stage almost overwhelmed me, with my eyes continually darting around throughout and spotting new details as the play progressed. The level of detail here is second to none, with furniture suiting the time each was supposedly purchased, creating a claustrophobic effect that played perfectly into Munby’s direction, heightening the tension as each character found themselves with nowhere to hide.

Sound design from Max Pappenheim creates the perfect atmosphere, again increasing the tension. Sound effects and a sparing use of design effortlessly transport the audience into New York in the 1960s. Anna Watson’s lighting design has some great moments, though it was plagued with a number of problems on the performance I went to, with a rogue light refusing to switch on, leading to a sudden and surprising blackout mid-performance as everything rebooted. This is what live theatre is all about; rather than detracting from the performance, it actually added to it, coming at a rather spooky moment and changing the tone of the show for a brief moment. However, it was the faultless way the cast took it in their stride, unfazed without missing a beat, that hammered home how incredible and resilient people who work in theatre really are.

That brings me on to the cast, all of whom have their moments to shine in The Price. Faye Castelow is largely sidelined as Esther Franz, and deals with some moments of misogyny where her presence as the sole female in the play is often dismissed - so it is thrilling when Castelow ignores this and reasserts herself in a wonderful moment that threatens to shift the dynamic and makes it clear why she has as much right to be in the story as the warring brothers. Speaking of, John Hopkins is a later appearance as Walter Franz, but immediately makes his presence felt, with a dark and mysterious character that unravels over time and always feels to be near the point of explosion. Elliot Cowan has the most daunting role as Victor Franz, remaining on stage throughout and proving to be the heartbeat of the story. What starts as an initially understated and even dull characterisation reveals itself to be deceptive, as Victor’s past and present collide in catastrophic ways. Cowan masters the slow and steady approach to the character, so that his bigger moments are played to perfection.

The standout character in the show, however, is Gregory Solomon. Providing the comic relief, he is a necessary distraction from some of the more tense and disturbing elements of the play. Henry Goodman plays this masterfully, with his comic timing second to none. From the moment he appears on stage, he has the audience and fellow characters in the palm of his hand, stealing every scene he is in, and giving the rest of the impressive cast a challenge to keep up with him. From the way he carries himself, his ability to deliver a reaction with authenticity and humour, and every thought that has gone into his interpretation of the character, Goodman astonishes at every turn in a truly remarkable performance. Such is the calibre of his performance that his presence is missed when he finds himself out of the action for much of the second Act - though this is necessary for the more sombre scenes between the Franz brothers, there was a part of me that always wondered when he would appear next - the perils of a performance perhaps being too good!

Marylebone Theatre is fast becoming one of the most exciting theatres in London. Previous plays Daniel’s Husband and What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank showed their knack for giving new plays a home, and this new direction proves they can handle the classics every bit as well. There is an element of Arthur Miller’s writing that always captivates me, though it is always dependent on the production itself, in how successful their interpretation can be. Where All My Sons knocked me off my feet, Broken Glass fell oddly flat. The Price sits closer to the former, never quite reaching those same dizzying heights, but proving to be an exciting and exhilarating revival that takes the elements inherited from Miller’s outstanding writing and breathes new life into it to create a fantastic piece of theatre. If you are looking for a great play to see in London this month, this offering is more than worth the price of the ticket.

The Price plays at the Marylebone Theatre until 7th June. Get tickets from £15 at https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/the-price-tickets

Photos by Mark Senior