THE PRICE @ MARYLEBONE THEATRE

🎭 The Price

📍 Marylebone Theatre, 35 Park Road, London, NW1 6XT

🗓 Friday 24th April 2026

⭐️ 4 Stars

THE PRICE IS RIGHT

It was such a relief to head over to the Marylebone Theatre last night without that nagging "will I get there?" travel anxiety that has been the theme of my week. But with the recent strike action in London finally over, the journey was actually - dare I say it - pleasant! A smooth trip to one of the city's loveliest intimate spaces was the perfect headspace to be in before diving into Arthur Miller's 1968 classic THE PRICE.

The play is a dense intellectual dive into family legacy and the weight of the past. We're in a condemned brownstone attic where two estranged brothers, Victor and Walter, meet after sixteen years to sell off their late father's estate. What I loved most was the nuanced depiction of their relationship. Victor stayed to care for their broken father and became a cop, while Walter left to become a successful surgeon, but cleverly Miller doesn't give us a winner and a loser here.

On the surface, they couldn't be more different, but they mirror each other in these hauntingly abstract ways. Both have built lives they're proud of, yet both are hollowed out by what they had to sacrifice to get there. By the time they really started digging into the "why" of their estrangement, I found myself waiting for a villain to emerge - for one to be revealed as the bad guy. But that's not what this play is about. I just ended up feeling a profound sense of pity for both of them. They're just two men haunted by the same ghost.

I have to be honest, this is a very wordy piece. Miller definitely doesn't use one word when ten will do, and there are moments during the second act where the dialogue felt a bit circular, and I felt the production lost its way slightly. However, that dip was only temporary. The tension between the brothers is so palpable that the play quickly regained its momentum, hurtling towards a really powerful emotional climax.

The cast is, quite frankly, top-tier. Their accents were exceptional. Proper lived-in New York tones that never felt like caricatures. Henry Goodman is a marvel as Gregory Solomon, the 89-year-old furniture dealer. He provides that much-needed comic relief with his eccentric haggling, but he's definitely not just a clown. Goodman layered him with a deep, personal sadness that felt incredibly human.

Elliot Cowan gives Victor a weary, noble integrity, while John Hopkins plays Walter with a slick exterior that slowly peels away to reveal something much more fragile. And then there's Faye Castelow as Esther. She is such a strong presence on that stage. Despite the hardships she and Victor have faced, she portrays a woman in a remarkably strong marriage, anchoring the emotional stakes of the play.

The creative team has really pulled out all the stops. The set is simply outstanding. I'd be willing to wager that those are real antique pieces of furniture piled up in that attic, not just stagey reproductions. The way the set design extends right up to the ceiling and those dusty skylights really encloses the space, making you feel like you're right there in that claustrophobic, forgotten room. It felt so authentic I practically wanted to sneeze from the "dust". This was bolstered by a beautifully subdued lighting design that perfectly captured the atmosphere of a space that hasn't seen the sun in decades.

While THE PRICE might not sit at the very top of my "Favourite Miller Plays" list, this production makes a very strong case for it. The title itself is so clever. It's not just about the literal price Solomon offers for the chairs and tables, but the price Victor paid by staying behind, and the ultimate price our choices extract from our lives.

This is a thoughtful, beautifully acted revival that is playing until Sunday 7th June. CLICK HERE to check availability and to book your tickets. It's definitely worth the trip.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of The Price was gifted by ANRPR who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Elliot Cowan as Victor Franz; Faye Castelow as Esther Franz; Henry Goodman as Gregory Solomon; John Hopkins as Walter Franz

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 45 minutes, including interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Reference to suicide and the loss of a parent and child

AGE GUIDELINES:

12 +

To keep up to date with all the latest theatre news and more, follow Pink Prince Theatre on social media.

Find us on Instagram, Facebook, BlueSky and TikTok.