Death of a Salesman

Ilkley Playhouse

Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman is a modern classic. Its timelessness lies in the portrait of a man at the end of his tether, one who has been corrupted by revering false values.

Willy Loman is the salesman, arriving home late from an aborted sales trip. His wife, Linda, is also at home, along with their sons, Biff and Happy. Miller depicts Loman’s relationships with his family over the years, as well as his life on the road and with his neighbours, affable and generous Charlie and his studious son, Bernard. Loman’s relationship with his son Biff is particularly strained. The latter has not realised the grand plans that Willy had for him. Happy is content seducing women and has few ambitions. Linda is aware that her husband is breaking down, and tries desperately to support him, by colluding with his paper thin pretence that all is well. In the Ilkley Playhouse production sterling support is given to the main cast of characters by Geraldine Woodhouse as the flighty Woman in Loman’s life on the road, by Becky Hill and Sophie Milnes as the young women in the restaurant, and Andy King as Stanley, the waiter. Willy is urged fruitlessly to take risks by Ben, his older brother, played with affable aplomb by Andrew Leggott. His neighbour, Charley, played sympathetically by Tony Wade, offers to help a desperate Loman, but is rejected. The success of Charley’s son, Bernard, played by Alan Carmichael, is salt in the wound when Loman compares him to his two sons. Willy asks fruitlessly for help from his callow boss, Howard, played by James Hall.

The promiscuous and self-deceiving Happy is well realised by Patrick Hebbert. Biff, played by Lee Russell, believably alternates between rage and despair. Jan Thomas as Linda Loman captures perfectly a mother trying to keep the peace in a family at war with itself. And David Templeton triumphs as Willy Loman, the man who, despite his flaws, is a “human being and a terrible thing is happening to him”.

This is an excellent production of a classic play.

Death of a Salesman runs at Ilkley Playhouse until Saturday.

Lesley Matthews