I enjoy Arthur Miller plays, but had never seen The Price, so a visit to The Lyceum’s new production was a must. Especially as director John Dove had done such a good job of Death of a Salesman and more particularly, All My Sons.
The play is set in the attic of a New York apartment, stuffed full of ‘good’ furniture piled high, well realised by designer Michael Taylor, who once again teamed up with John Dove.
We have two brothers: Victor, a New York cop nearing retirement, who might have had a brilliant career had he not devoted time to looking after his aged (now dead) father, and Walter who chose to leave and is now a well-respected surgeon with a hospital named after him. Well, it is actually never as simple as that of course, and as the play develops, we discover a complicated story, and the reasons why the brothers have not spoken for many years.
What brings them together is the forced sale of the furniture, as the building it sits in is due for demolition. The furniture belongs jointly to the two brothers. And as the aged furniture dealer Gregory Solomon says, his services are usually required at divorces and deaths: there is always a story. Victor’s wife Esther thinks that Victor deserves the lot, but Victor is not so sure.
Cast of The Price
The Price is the price for the goods on sale, but the play is about the price of friendships, sacrifices made, and ultimately, the price of family relationships. You choose your friends, but have to live with your family.
All performances were strong and measured. Greg Powrie and Aden Gillett play the two brothers, and Sally Edwards as Victor’s wife, Esther. James Hayes plays the old, wizzen and wise furniture dealer, spinning yarns and telling us about his history, and his philosophy on sales of furniture. He is so old, there is always the question hanging throughout that he might die as the family squabble, with no deal done.
Miller’s tale is well told. We saw this on preview night, and felt momentum was lost a little in the complicated second half, where there is a lot of story to get across, but this is bound to improve as the production beds in. It is a good start to 2010 playgoing year, and is recommeded.
