Death of a Salesman
★★★☆☆ Modern Tragedy
Festival Theatre: Wed 19 – Sat 22 Mar 2025
Review by Rebecca Mahar
Arthur Miller’s enduring tragedy Death of a Salesman leaves no question of the play’s outcome in its title, or in this new production from Trafalgar Theatre Productions and Raw Material touring to the Festival Theatre.
Director Andy Arnold has crafted a Salesman that is unfussy and true to its roots, highlighting the universal interpersonal struggles embodied by the salesman, Willy Loman, and his family, and those that are still distressingly relevant – particularly in the America of today.
David Hayman as Willy Loman. Pic: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
Willy Loman is a traveling salesman nearing the end of a 35 year career, dedicated to service at one firm, where he’s recently been taken off salaried pay and put back on commission only. His feelings of inadequacy and suicidal ideation come to a head when his elder son, Biff, returns home from his latest attempt at holding down a job.
The play follows the final day of Loman’s life as he and Biff attempt to navigate their troubled relationship, and Willy decides the best way he can support his family is with his life insurance payout.
David Hayman stars as Willy Loman, bringing suitable gravitas and long-suffering dry humour to the role. He balances Willy’s present-day internal and external struggles with his flashbacks (and the intrusion of their voices into the present) very well.
The hints of confusion that Willy shows when he realises he’s been talking to himself will be familiar to anyone with a loved one who has experienced memory loss or memory-affecting mental illness.
mis-cued
Despite these nuances, Hayman’s performance does go a bit flat at times; leaning too hard into the deadpan, or simply contradicting itself. Hayman also suffers from a hefty amount of abridging, paraphrasing, or mis-ordering his lines. Thanks to an excellent company who forge ahead despite being mis-cued, most (but not all) of which might pass you by under normal circumstances; but when the show is captioned, as it was at Æ’s visit, these errors are magnified.
Michael Wallace (Happy Loman), Gavin John Wright (Bernard, being carried) and Daniel Cahill (Biff Loman). Pic: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
Daniel Cahill and Michael Wallace as Biff and Happy Loman, respectively, are a strong and energetic duo, turning out exemplary performances as Willy’s oppositional sons. They are at their best together, bouncing off each other with a believably fraternal rapidity and understanding. Cahill’s final scene with Hayman is a standout, as Biff’s pleas go unfulfilled and misunderstood.
Beth Marshall as Linda Loman, Willy’s wife, is the backbone of the piece. Gentle and loving with Willy despite his sometimes callous behaviour toward her, Marshall’s Linda shows flashes of steel when addressing her sons who do not understand what their father is going through. The only one who knows everyone’s troubles, Marshall navigates Linda’s complexities with superb grace, and a heart-rending final monologue.
simple and evocative
Rory Beaton’s lighting design is beautifully simple and evocative, partnering with the sound design and Niroshini Thambar’s music, performed live onstage by actor-musicians from the company, to facilitate the transitions between the present day and Willy’s remembrances of the past.
Beth Marshall (Linda Loman) and Death of a Salesman company. Pic Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
Neil Haynes’ elegant set flexes to fill out all the play’s locations through the movement of chairs and table, and the suspension of disbelief. Costumes by Victoria Brown fix each character firmly in their time and purpose. All are beautifully tailored, with the exception of seemingly deliberately-baggy, young sales manager, Howard (Simon Donaldson), whose treatment of Willy deserves the way his trousers hang.
continuing relevance
While the production could overall do with a little tightening when it comes to internal pace in some scenes, its effect is still impactful, and proves the continuing relevance of Arthur Miller’s work.
One of Miller’s earliest successes, Death of a Salesman will continue to endure as long as families are complicated, as long as capitalism rules, and as long as the American Dream remains an aspirational unreality, out of reach for the average person just trying to make a better life.
Running time: Two hours and 55 minutes (including one interval)
Festival Theatre, 13-29 Nicolson St. EH8 9FT
Wed 19 – Sat 22 March 2025
Evenings: 7:30pm; 2:30pm Sat mat.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Access performances: The 2:30pm performance on Sat 22 will be audio described, BSL interpreted, and have a touch tour before the show.
Willy Loman actor David Hayman is the founder of a humanitarian relief organisation, Spirit Aid, which supports children and young people whose lives have been impacted by poverty, neglect, abuse, lack of opportunity, humanitarian crisis, or war. Learn more and donate here: https://spiritaid.org
Death of a Salesman on tour
27- 29 March 2025: Crewe – Lyceum Theatre TICKETS
1-5 April 2025: Cardiff – New Theatre TICKETS
8-12 April 2025: Southend – Palace Theatre TICKETS
15-19 April 2025: Dublin – The Gaiety Theatre TICKETS
22-26 April 2025: Wycombe Swan TICKETS
29 April – 3 May 2025: The Lowry, Salford TICKETS
The Death of a Salesman cast. Pic Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
ENDS
