Death of a Salesman (tour)
It is now over 50 years since we were first introduced to Arthur Miller‘s unfulfilled salesman Willie Loman and his family and yet, after all this time, the play is still fresh, vibrant and relevant to present times – a true modern
classic.
At 60, Willie is past his best as a travelling salesman but he seems to be blinded by self-delusion believing that if you are “well liked” you will be successful. His hopes and dreams are now heaped onto the shoulders of his sons, Biff and Happy. He envisages that they’ll continue the social climb and successfully live out the American Dream but, alas, this is not to be. Achingly revealed, this is the story of a common man who, in his constant dwelling on the past and missed opportunities, allows his life to slip by.
In this current Compass Theatre Company production, the cast of ten present a
straightforward, no-nonsense account. Initially, Graham Turner as the
fading salesman, Willie, seems a little too young and lightweight for the
part, but he grows into the character as the play progresses. This is a good
performance, but with a little more ageing still, it could be an
excellent one. There are fine cameo performances from Robert Cameron as
Bernard, both as boy and man, and from Gailie Morrison as the Woman in
Willie’s secret affair. The most outstanding and convincing performance, however,
comes from relative newcomer Stephen Campbell Moore as the younger
philandering son, Happy, destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. Elsewhere, although the American accents slip from time to time, the performances are sturdily workmanlike.
Still, I can’t help but feel this production is aimed primarily at schoolchildren who are
about to study the text. The standard is very high quality Theatre in Education, but sometimes lacks nuance. English Teachers will love it because the themes are so strongly hammered home – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
The open set designed by Neil Irish greatly enhances the production, creating various nooks and crannies of accessible acting spaces. This allows us to see all of the characters, when necessary, reacting to the events as they unfold.
All in all, this Death of a Salesman is an enjoyable and instructive production if not exactly a subtle one.
– Magi Sloan (reviewed at Glasgow’s Theatre Royal)
