There is a timeless quality to Willy Loman, the central character in ‘Death of a Salesman’. Arthur Miller tapped into a gold mine of 20th century reality when he penned this tale of a family man who realises that ‘The American Dream’ may have been just exactly that, a dream.
Hardworking salesman Willy is finding it hard to keep being a salesman on the road, and wants to start working closer to home. Slowly over a twenty four hour period his life unravels as he discovers that his firm doesn’t appreciate him as much as he thought, he discovers his children are not who he hoped they were and his friends maybe don’t like him as much as he believed.
Miller’s 1949 play won both the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award for best play, and has become a classic of modern literature. The play’s had no less than four Broadway revivals, picking up another three Tony Awards along the way. Going into this, you know there’s nothing wrong with the material; it’s all in the delivery.
Black Swan Theatre’s production of ‘Death of a Salesman’ is a solid delivery of the story. Leading man John Stanton delivers a performance that is carefully balanced. Stanton’s Willy Loman is a man we desperately feel for, yet might not actually like him that much. Throughout the play Loman changes from charismatic salesman, to a caring husband, a proud father and a jovial friend, it’s a subtly nuanced performance, and as times goes on more and more faces of Willy Loman are revealed.
Caroline McKenzie get’s all the best one liners as Loman’s supportive wife Linda, while relative newcomer Ben O’Toole delivers a stellar performance as second son Happy. ‘Death of a Salesman’ has many small, but interesting, parts. In this production some of Perth’s best known actors make their most smaller roles, Talei Howell-Price is superb as a hotel floozy and Igor Sas brings neighbour Charley to life.
The set is vast, making the stage of the Heath Leger Theatre appear much larger than it usually is, a great contribution from set and lighting designer Trent Suidgeest, and set designer Alicia Clements. Ben Collins provides a musical and soundscape that is incredibly subtle but effective, creating a ark undercurrent of sound that carries Willy Loman through his journey.
In a time when new works are written with as few actors as possible, and many revivals search for creative ways to bring plays into smaller spaces, with smaller casts, it’s great to see a big production with a big cast from one of Western Australia’s local companies.
‘Death of a Salesman’ has been extended by five evening performances to Tuesday 21 May at 6.30pm, Wed 22 to Saturday 25 May at 7.30pm. Tickets through ticketek.com.au
Graeme Watson, Image: Gary Marsh
