The Price – The Octagon Theatre, Bolton

Writer: Arthur Miller

Director: David Thacker

Reviewer: Richard Hall

The Public Reviews Rating:

Octagon Theatre Artistic Director, David Thacker returns to familiar territory, with this absorbing and powerful revival of Arthur Miller’s, The Price. Thacker first directed the play 21 years ago at the Young Vic with a cast that included David Calder and Bob Peck. Since then he has emerged to become one of the leading exponents of Miller’s work. This production clearly shows that when it comes to Miller’s plays, Thacker is one of the best directors that there is.

In The Price, Miller tackles recognizable themes, sibling rivalry and the personal struggles of everyday life. Miller brilliantly examines these in microscopic detail, extracting and conveying every brilliant raw emotion and disappointment, as after 16 years apart, two estranged brothers confront each other in their dead father’s attic apartment.

The meeting of the brothers, to sell off their father’s possessions, provides the main focus and as with all of Miller’s plays, tension gradually builds as old rivalries and resentments come to the fore. In the second half, when the two brothers begin to voice their resentments, the drama ignites and then fully explodes, highlighting Miller’s undeniable power and skill as a dramatist.

Miller gradually opens up his characters lives, hopes and fears and in doing so reveals the cause of the feud between the two brothers. To look after their aged father, one of the brothers, Victor, gave up a promising academic career to allow his sibling, Walter, to become an eminent and wealthy surgeon. Now close to retirement, embittered New York cop, Victor’s rage boils over as he accuses his brother of betrayal and selfishness in underestimating the extent of his own personal sacrifice. Add into this melting pot, one of Miller’s recurring themes about the price of honour and loyalty and what you get is a razor sharp play with great performances to match. Tom Mannion as Victor and Colin Stinton as Walter are outstanding and I am sure, will in time, both be nominated for best actor awards. Solid support is provided by Suzan Sylvester as Victor’s wife and Kenneth Alan Taylor as an old, if somewhat slightly over played, Jewish antique dealer.

Patrick Connellan’s cluttered set provides a suitably atmospheric arena for the brothers to spar in and captures the spirit of the late 1960’s setting perfectly.

I doubt if the pairing of Tom Mannion and Colin Stinton as Victor and Walter could be bettered. Expert storytelling and two strong central performances combine to create a night of unmissable drama. If you are fan of Arthur Miller and great theatre, I urge you to catch this wonderful production while you can. Highly recommended.