Arthur Miller’s American classic Death of a Salesman marks 70 years since the first performance of Death of a Salesman, and it still remains as pertinent today as it did in 1949. Artistic Director, Sam Strong, writes that it is the relatability of Miller’s characters that creates the appeal of the show. For a serious and thought-provoking performance, I would recommend the Queensland Theatre’s production of Death of a Salesman.
It tells the story of Willy Loman (Peter Kowitz), an ageing and exhausted man who has worked tirelessly for the same sales company his whole life. Willy believes that hard work and being ‘well liked’ is the key to his success. On the surface, his life appears to be the ‘American Dream’ - he has a house complete with white-picket fence, a loyal wife (Angie Milikan), and two devoted sons (Jackson McGovern as Happy and Thomas Larkin as Biff). However, the return of his eldest and now estranged son, Biff Loman, causes him to have dream-like psychotic breakdowns and thoughts of suicide.
The actors were superb which is necessary for this play as, in the way of most of Miller’s plays, is driven by dialogue and character. Director Jason Klarwein points out that Miller originally struggled to get the play shown or funded as many directors believed that audiences would struggle to understand the play due to the nuanced nature of the writing. Queensland Theatre’s production feels refreshingly modern, despite the age of the play, demonstrating Miller’s skill and progressive writing style. The characters were pitiful, and yet extremely relatable to a modern audience as they struggle to come to terms with their own mediocrity and belief that hard work equals success.
The major criticism of Death of Salesman when first released was that audiences would struggle to ‘get-it’; however, modern lighting (Verity Hampson) techniques in the Queensland Theatre’s production helped to demonstrate the difference between the dream-like world and reality. The modern lighting, in combination with the period music (Justin Harrison), created a refreshing current feel to the play, yet still stayed true to the original time period.
The set, designed by Richard Roberts, was simple, yet extremely well executed. As the audience was seated, characters could be seen moving in the windows of a two story house that made-up the stage. As the show began, the front of the house parted in three different ways, revealing the interior. This gave the audience a ‘fly on the wall’ view of the ongoings of the family and a personal and real feeling to the show.
Fans of the thought-provoking and topical drama will enjoy Queensland Theatre’s production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. I am a huge fan of Miller’s The Crucible, so was excited to see another piece of his work. While Death of a Salesman is not quite as invigorating as The Crucible, it is on par with its skilful dialogue and relevancy to a modern audience.
Death of a Salesman, QPAC Playhouse
14 Feb - 2 March 2019
Youth Review by Jasmine Regan Feldman