MENTION Arthur Miller and Death Of A Salesman, The Crucible and A View From The Bridge immediately spring to mind.

His rarely performed play, The Price, probably won't get a look in.

But according to Neil Sissons, who is directing a production of The Price at York Theatre Royal next month, that could all soon change.

The play's intricate mix of family relationships, regret, humour and politics, could propel it up there with Miller's most talked about works, believes Neil.

The Price is the story of two long-estranged brothers who meet up in Manhattan brownstone in 1968.

They are forced into each other's company 16 years after the death of their father, to deal with the practicalities of the family apartment being torn down.

They need to sell the furniture, learn how to communicate again and work out where it went so wrong.

The Price is what we pay for the decisions we make in our lives, says Neil. It's about the lies we tell ourselves to avoid looking at the truth and how we live with the consequences. Then, in the midst of all this doom, gloom and soul searching, is 90-year-old furniture dealer Soloman, who lands in the middle of an uneasy reunion and has enough wisdom, humour and life experience to lighten the load.

"Soloman has got a fantastic sense of humour," said Neil.

"The play deals with very painful things but because Miller is a human being, he knows that life is ridiculous and absurd as well as being tragic.

"It's a family drama but it's extremely intense on some levels. The tragedy is deeper and it deals with things we all know about; we all have things in our families that we all want to hide away from.

"But within that there are great moments of hilarity and humanity, which is why for me it's extraordinary that this play is so rarely performed and I think it will come to be in the future one of those great Miller plays."

Besides the conflict between the two brothers, Neil senses a political resonance in The Price. When Miller wrote it, in 1967/68, the United States was trying to solve its domestic crises in Vietnam.

The characters can't move on until they have dealt with the past, says Neil, and it mirrors the political situation of the time.

"In a way, it's saying America can't solve its internal domestic problems fighting against Vietnam," he explains.

"Miller doesn't wear his politics on his sleeve and the play doesn't wag its finger at people; he's much more subtle than that. But he's saying as individuals we have a responsibility to the truth and society and you can't wash your hands of it."

So far, audience reaction to the play has been positive, says Neil, with neither brother attracting more sympathy than the other.

"People always come away debating which of the two brothers has paid the greatest price and who is right and who is wrong," he said.

"I really enjoy hearing people talk about it and I hope it continues to stimulate a lively debate."


The Price, York Theatre Royal, Tuesday to Saturday, 7.30pm. Tickets £9 to £18 and £5 for students and under 25s. Box Office 01904 623568.