Parents on occasions can be enormously competitive, which can transpire into bossy parenting. Also could working when you’re supposed to be
in retirement cause you to develop aggressive and psychological tendencies? The
Royal Shakespeare Company’s West End transfer of Arthur Miller’s 1924 play, ‘Death
of a Salesman’ was an unbelievably compelling production, in addition, the
performances were miraculously conveyed.
‘Death of a Salesman’ is set in the early-mid 1920’s New
York where we’re acquainted with aging and failed businessman, Willy Loman who
has just returned exhausted after a disastrous business trip. His wife, Linda
has become concerned by Willy’s mental state due to a recent car accident and
pleads with Willy that he must ask his boss to allow him to work in his home
city, only. Willy frequently whinges
that his eldest son, Biff has not given himself the best possible chance of
life as he flunked math so this meant that he could not go to college. Biff and
his brother, Happy are staying in their childhood bedroom as Biff has come back
from the West and they ponder about their childhood memories. As well as, their father’s cerebral demise is one
topic of conversation as they have both seen him talking to himself, but to
Willy he thinks he has been talking to his deceased tycoon brother, Uncle Ben
(Guy Powell) on what could have been. Throughout the show, Willy’s neighbour,
Charley (Joshua Richards), who Willy somewhat dislikes due to the fact that
Charly boasts about his son, Bernard (Brodie Ross). To keep Charley quiet, he
enlightens him of Biff’s business venture and meeting. When Willy visits his boss, Howard Wagner
(Tobias Bear), he receives some unwelcome news that he has been fired due to
his lack of business contacts.
Additionally when Biff informs Happy at an expensive restaurant that the
meeting did not go well whatsoever, Happy says that he must retain this information.
Ridden with guilt, Biff is honest to his father and tells him of the real
outcome. When Willy is left at the restaurant, he remembers the moment when
Biff caught him having a sordid affair with Miss Francis (Sarah Parks), this
allows us to see why they have problems with one another. When all members of the Loman family are back
in the home, Linda is furious that Biff and Happy abandoned their father by leaving
with two girls, Miss Forsythe (Emma King) and Letta (Miranda Nolan), the past
escalates on Willy’s failed suicide attempts but at the finale, Willy drives
his car and crash it; in which he kills himself in the process. Miller’s narrative is both beguiling and
tragic as we can see a dwindling salesman has become so agitated with not only
his work colleagues but to his sons too as they do not have much respect for
him whatsoever, but his love for his wife is undeniably flowing.
One found the performances by the company of, ‘Death of a
Salesman’ to be relatively exhilarating with such engrossing voice work and charismatic
movements. Antony Sher is outstanding as
lead protagonist, Willy Loman; for example how his deteriorating mental health
has immensely impacted on the relationships he has with his son Biff where he constantly
demeans him as he knows he has not worked hard enough to gain a proper job.
Harriet Walker is exceptional as Willy’s doing wife, Linda; specifically at the
point where she is alone at Willy’s grave at the very end of the show and the
sadness she must be feeling as she could not say a proper goodbye to Willy as
he ended his own life, which is an emotional moment. Alex Hassell is incredible as the unproductive
son, Biff; especially the aspect where he breaks down in tears in his father’s
arms as he knows that he wants to work on the ranches rather than working in an
office selling five days a week. Sam
Marks is remarkable as the more prosperous son, Happy; mainly during the
flashbacks where we see how he has always tried to work harder to obtain better
prospects in which has done as he owns his own apartment.
Gregory Doran’s direction is fabulous here as he has been
able to transport us into the unique and strange world of Willy Loman with a
fixation on the oppressed relationships he has with his sons and how interfering
he is. Stephen Brimson Lewis’ design is supreme as the decision to have both
levels of the Loman’s house in such an accurate fashion is simply first-rate,
moreover, the construction and scenic art was so impressive too which shows
that these traditional elements are vital to the industry today. Overall, the experience of, ‘Death of a Salesman’
was an engrossing and marvellous revival on fathers and sons and another
brilliant show from the RSC.
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