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The Price

 
Max Allen Review by Max Allen 4 Published: 25 Apr 2026 Marylebone Theatre Show Dates: 17 Apr 2026-7 Jun 2026

Arthur Miller has been gripping the London theatre scene this year, with his plays appearing across the city. At a time when shows are shorter, overwhelmingly topical, and increasingly minimalist, returning to a dense, cluttered drama, complete with a wonderfully detailed set that must give any stage manager nightmares, felt both nostalgic and deeply satisfying. I found myself thoroughly entertained at the Marylebone Theatre.

Goodman is a true master at work

From the outset, the music and richly arranged set draw us into the world of a long-abandoned 1960s home, with father Franz’s chair sitting ominously empty centre stage. Victor (Elliot Cowan) and Esther (Faye Castelow) establish the emotional landscape early, laying out beat cop Victor’s deep-seated resentment toward his brother Walter (John Hopkins), as well as Esther’s frustration toward her retirement-age husband. The New York accents are stylised but effective, and Cowan in particular captures a convincing Bronx edge.

That said, I did find my attention drifting slightly during the early back-and-forth between husband and wife, until Henry Goodman enters and completely seizes the stage.

As Gregory Solomon, Goodman is beyond perfectly cast. Equal parts charming and incorrigible, his elderly Jewish furniture appraiser haggles with infectious energy, drawing consistent laughter from what had previously been a quiet audience. His comedic timing, physicality, and sheer presence are a masterclass, and without him, the play’s 2 hour 45 minute runtime might feel its length.

Walter’s arrival at the end of Act One shifts the play’s momentum. In Act Two, the brothers confront years of buried resentment and unresolved conflict, while Solomon rests offstage. Hopkins is particularly compelling here, bringing nuance and authority, and playing off his castmates with precision.

The play builds toward a conclusion that is satisfyingly ambiguous and thought-provoking, exploring the cost of our choices and the price others pay for them.

Where the production falters slightly is in its sustained emotional intensity. While clearly talented and committed, Cowan and Castelow at times become locked in the tragedy of their characters. Their performances feel tightly wound, with little release. A greater variation in tone, with moments of lightness or levity, would have provided contrast and made the emotional peaks more effective. As it stands, the constant tension can feel exhausting and occasionally muddies the clarity of the piece.

That said, the production remains gripping for much of its runtime, and Goodman’s performance alone is worth the ticket. A true master at work, and well worth seeing.

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The Blurb:

What is the price of the choices we make?

Arthur Miller’s searing family drama The Price comes to the Marylebone Theatre in a powerful new production starring two-time Olivier Award-winning Henry Goodman (Yes, Prime Minister, Fiddler On The Roof, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui), Faye Castelow (Leopoldstadt, After the Dance), Elliot Cowan (A Little Life, 2.22) and John Hopkins (Dr Strangelove, 39 Steps).

On the eve of selling their late father’s possessions, two estranged brothers meet in a cluttered New York attic for the first time in years. What begins as a simple transaction becomes a fierce emotional reckoning, as decades of resentment, sacrifice and buried truth erupt into the open.

By turns darkly funny and devastatingly human, Olivier Award-nominated Jonathan Munby directs a stellar cast in one of Miller's most intimate and explosive dramas: a gripping portrait of family where memory, regret, and emotional inheritance collide.