| The Price | You can see The Price at the Milton Keynes Theatre from 4-9 October 2004. Eves: 7.30pm Wed & Sat: 2.30pm Box Office: 01908 60 60 90 |
Arthur Miller’s ‘The Price’ opened on Broadway in 1968 and quickly became his most successful play since The Crucible (1953). It has also been described as one of his funniest. In a similar way to some of his previous work such as ‘All My Sons’ and ‘Death of a Salesman’, ‘The Price’ deals with the often painful confrontation between a man and his past and the relationship between family and society and what happens when loyalties clash. It confirmed Miller’s reputation as a playwright but for some reason, it isn’t half as well known as the aforementioned plays. But this is now changing - with Larry Lamb and Warren Mitchell’s critically acclaimed performances in the West End last Autumn having a lot to do with it. The production was a huge hit, and won Warren Mitchell an Olivier Award. Genius
 | | Larry Lamb in The Price |
Now, together with Brian Protheroe, they are reviving those performances in a national tour which arrives at the Milton Keynes in October, thus ensuring that many more will discover its genius. "Now people are discovering this masterpiece and don’t know why they didn’t know it before" says Larry Lamb who plays Vic. "Everybody knows ‘Death of a Salesman’ but this is every bit as powerful in a very real way. There’s no make believe stuff or a need to suspend disbelief. It’s extremely powerful." "And it’s a completely autobiographical play which encapsulates Arthur Miller’s life" he adds. This is true. Miller’s father’s business came perilously close to destruction during the Great Depression in 1929, leaving the family on the verge of bankruptcy. And it is against the backdrop of this defining moment in American history that The Price is set. | "Everybody knows ‘Death of a Salesman’ but this is every bit as powerful in a very real way." | | Larry Lamb |
In this case, the event haunts two estranged brothers, Vic and Walter (Lamb and Protheroe) as they play out their own personal dramas. As a result, repressed dreams, desires and resentments bubble to the surface. "My character Vic is a policeman who represents Arthur Miller’s brother, while Miller is represented by Walter who is a successful surgeon" explains Larry. "Their family was badly affected by the great crash. They were rich in 1929 but their entire fortune was lost." "Now they are completely estranged. But after 16 years they are coming together and confronting their personal ghosts in terms of what’s left of the family. They want to draw a line under everything." Security Larry goes onto explain that Vic took a steady job because he wanted security to help keep his father alive both morally and physically. But Walter continued his studies and became very rich and successful.
 | | Larry Lamb in The Price |
"It’s about how they both started with the same advantages but took different routes" he says. "Then they come together and all the pent-up anger and frustration of a lifetime explodes on the stage in two hours." "What they discover is that there’s a price for everything - there ain’t no free lunch" he continues. "Walter discovers that if you decide to leave your ruined father to pursue your career, the price you pay is the resentment and hatred of your brother. "While Vic learns that if you go down the other route, you don’t have a big house and a fancy life." Uneasy In the middle of this uneasy reunion we find Solomon (Mitchell), a 90- year-old furniture dealer who brings the humour of real life to the situation. "Like any great comedy, the humour comes out of the pathos" says Larry. "It’s life. It comes out of tragedy. You can be standing at a funeral and somebody will say something and you’ll burst out laughing."
 | | Warren Mitchell in The Price |
"The comedy comes from the furniture dealer, and what he has to say is not only extremely funny but extremely poignant" he continues. "The character is a clever device to make the audience look in from another perspective. And the comedy makes it real - it’s not just for laughs. "He [Solomon] is an old man who has had an extraordinary life and his experience adds to the brew" adds Larry. Celebrate This production arrives at Milton Keynes Theatre in the week that the venue celebrates its fifth birthday. Larry says that he hasn’t been there before and in fact has never been on tour before either. This has meant a whole different way of life for him, but he says that it’s definitely all worth it. "When you’re doing TV or a film you check into your hotel, leave for filming about 4.00 am and return about 8.00 pm, if you’re lucky, and hope to go straight to bed" he explains. "But with the theatre it’s exactly the opposite. "The problem is, I don’t have a different body clock. I still wake up early! But it has its positives because the audiences are really appreciating it and that’s what we do it for" he adds. "The audience reaction has been fantastic - it’s just extraordinary" he says. "Right from the first day, it’s always had the same effect." Amazing Larry feels that it creates such a great response from those watching because no matter what your background is, you can relate to the relationships involved. "Everybody’s got a family so we get an amazing response" he says. "It really hits people with a wallop and at the end of the day that’s what Miller set out to achieve. It’s about everybody - no matter where you’re from."
 | | Larry Lamb in Casualty |
Larry Lamb has come to this production from a long and varied career on both stage and screen. As well as appearing seemingly on nearly every television series known to man, from ‘Midsomer Murders’, ‘Kavanagh QC’ and ‘Taggart’ to ‘Our Friends in the North’, ‘Lovejoy’ and ‘Casualty’, he has also been in Superman I, II AND III! Coupled with that, he has played classic roles such as Claudius in ‘Hamlet’ and appeared in plays including ‘Art’, ‘Comedians’, ‘Anna Weiss’ and ‘The Sisters Rosenweig’. However, he says that he doesn’t have a favourite genre - for obvious reasons! "You have to be flexible" he says. "When you earn a living as an actor and are out in the open market you have to be prepared to take what comes along. "I don’t relish months on the road but it has its good side because you are playing to audiences that you don’t normally play to - except on TV." Excitement Nevertheless, despite his numerous roles, when I told my colleagues that I was going to speak to Larry Lamb, one particular TV show sprang to mind - ‘Triangle’- the early BBC soap in which Larry played Chief Engineer, Matt Taylor. At the same time, a ripple of excitement ran through the office because many of the same people - mainly women of a certain age - also admitted to having a secret crush on him - myself included! Something that I rather embarrassingly admitted to him! So was he aware of the effect that he was having on the female population in the early 80s? Did he know he was a sex symbol? "They should see me now" he laughs! "I was probably egotistical enough at the time to think that I was! But now I look back and it was all a big learning curve." Set on a North Sea Ferry on an eternal journey between three places (I can’t remember where!), this story of loves and life on the high sea has since been affectionately dubbed the ‘floating Crossroads’. But in actual fact it was quite pioneering. Experimental
 | | Larry as Matt Taylor with Kate O'Mara in Triangle |
Using new lightweight cameras, the majority of filming was done on the ferry, making the show almost wholly location based for the first time on the BBC. But where Brookside was praised for this just one year later, ‘Triangle’ was generally castigated! "Yes - it was the first video shoot for outside drama" says Larry. "And it facilitated the possibility of doing it in the future. "It had never been done before, the BBC had never shot drama on location so we were all flying by the seat of our pants!" "It was experimental and all a big adventure. It was a gas - good fun - that’s why we did it" he adds. "People laugh at it but it was no worse than some things you see now!" Seasick It wasn’t all plain sailing though (sorry !!!!) As Larry explains, the technology was still in its early stages and there were other things that were completely out of their control. "If you wanted to film us in front of a porthole the technology couldn’t cope" he reveals. "You had to shut the curtains so people still thought we were in the studio and so we might as well have been. But instead, there we all were - all being seasick!" And this, as Larry recalls, was a particular problem for him! "God, I was terrible" he laughs. "It was absolutely hopeless. I was popping seasickness pills all the time!" "But still a lot of people ask about it though, and say that they enjoyed it." Sadly, the show sunk, Titanic-esque, in 1983. I admitted to him that I had loved it but that I couldn’t remember for the life of me why - or what happened! "Neither can I" he laughs. "I have no idea what happened!" Satisfying Feeling guilty that I had harped on about a low grade (if innovative) soap to a man with a long and distinguished acting career, I ask if there could possibly be any roles that he would still like to play. "Not really" he says. "Not now I’ve played this part. This is probably as satisfying a part as I could hope to get. And if I could get as satisfying a part, I know I’d be really lucky. This role is a gift . I’m very happy." And with that I take my leave, very much looking forward to seeing the play in Milton Keynes. Larry is confident that I will not be disappointed. "I hope you enjoy it" he says. "In fact - I KNOW that you will!" | 
