Synopsis Veteran salesman Willy Loman is used to spending his life 'riding on a smile and a shoeshine', but recently things haven't been so good. He seems to have lost his golden touch; his grown-up sons, Biff and Happy, no longer idolise him as they used to and he is haunted by missed opportunities and a trouble past. His wife Linda is struggling to aid her increasingly disturbed husband, as she tries to hold the family together and keep Willy from descending further into desperation. But as the truth of Willy and his sons' imperfect past begins to unravel, Willy starts to lose faith in the two things he believes in: his family, and, in Miller's words, his need 'to leave a thumbprint somewhere on the world'. Death of a Salesman burst upon the international scene in 1949 and won the Drama Critics' Circle Award, the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize, becoming a benchmark for modern theatre.
Last year The Octagon staged two Arthur Miller productions; their fantastic A View From The Bridge was faultless and even when they tackled one of the master's least memorable plays, Broken Glass, it was better than many expected. So, it makes good business sense to bring the great American tragedy to this stage. This searing story of disappointment and despair has so many layers that, if performed well touches your very soul.
Mark Babych's production hits the heights during many key scenes but there are some clumsy and awkward moments which hopefully will be ironed out. Though the enduring appeal of lost soul Willy Loman, the fallen salesman who used to charm, remains.
The casting here is quite brilliant, in that each performer ratchets up the tension when uttering Miller’s timeless dialogue. David Fleeshman stoops onto the stage as yesterday’s man, Loman. The actor has a real affinity for the writing as proven by his previously successful roles in The Price and All My Sons. Joanna Bacon matches his performances as his subdued but loyal wife. But it is Jamie Lee who gives the most affecting performance as Willy’s eldest son, Biff. The despondent, disappointed look in his eyes, his intense delivery and the way he hardly comes up for air, is quite stunning to see. Nathan Nolan in the less showy role of younger brother, Happy, is extremely good, as is Liam O' Brien as Bernard, the successful onlooker.
In this modern age, call centres and seemingly unachievable targets are part of our everyday lives. Younger audiences can therefore engage with Loman’s plight beyond the English syllabus.
As good as the cast is at conveying the main themes, some elements jar slightly. Ivan Stott’s music is quite imposing at times, giving the play a televisual feel which it does not need. Also, Babych chooses to literally spell out Loman’s confused state through the use of sound effects.
But ultimately, this production stridently overcomes these shortcomings because the power and the heartache remain intact. One pivotal scene featuring Biff, breaking down, finally accepting that he needs his washed-out father is tremendously moving.
Despite the odd flaw, the Octagon has yet again proved that they can do Miller’s work justice. This great American classic still leaves you stirred and broken, almost sixty years on.
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