Anna Burnside reviews a revival of a classic that’s ‘still essential viewing more than 80 years on’.
When Arthur Miller wrote his masterwork of 20th Century theatre in 1949, crumpled, confused Willy Loman summed up many of the dilemmas of post-war capitalism.
It’s terrifying that so many of these issues still punch the gut today. As Loman’s wife listed the payments due on the flashy consumer goods that persuasive advertising brought into their lives, the pink logo of Klarna flashed unbidden before my eyes.
David Hayman is tremendous as the struggling salesman, human and fallible with his thinning hair and desperation suit. His physicality works perfectly in a cast where all the other men are taller than him. His sons - boisterous as youths, flawed and problematic as adults - could easily overpower him.
His neighbour Charley - played by Benny Young in another piece of masterful casting - dominates him in every way, which makes the relationship all the more poignant.
Andy Arnold directs with a light touch, allowing the themes and contemporary resonances to speak for themselves. It’s gently updated with a live soundscape: flute, violin, various guitar-adjacent instruments, all played by the actors in the smaller roles. The cast sit on both sides of the minimal set when not required on stage.
These two directorial decisions are enough to keep a classic fresh without messing with its essence. They gently frame it as a period piece while reminding us why it’s still essential viewing more than 80 years on.
This touring production of Death of a Salesman performs at The Pavilion Theatre in Glasgow until March 9, 2025. It tours venues in the UK and Ireland until May 3, with a stop at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh from March 19-22. For further details, visit the tour’s website.
Photo by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
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