THEATRE 
REVIEWS
Death of a Salesman
West Yorkshire Playhouse
Leeds
ENGLAND
Good value
It took 160 minutes for Sarah Esdaile to explain Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” to the assembled audience at the West Yorkshire Playhouse with the aid of twelve actors. This complex writer took his time exploring all aspects of this tale showing how a family is pulled apart by its internal being. Here we have a man psychologically pulled apart by his desires and ambitions for himself and his family, so you will have to keep your wits about you as past and present mingle in his increasingly confused mind. Everyone who attended will take something different home with them to cogitate on.
A troubled Philip Jackson
Willy Loman, superbly played by Philip Jackson, is the salesman troubled by his desire for what he considers right for his family. All that is enacted at the expense of his long suffering wife Linda Loman, played by Marion Bailey. His two sons Biff (Lex Shrapnel) and Happy (Nick Barber) play their parts in their father’s annihilation as one gets it right and the other gets it wrong. The cameos come thick and fast as the actors show the suffering that takes place within the family.
The imaginative set by Francis O’Connor matches the plot but spills too far forward on the stage and prevents some in the audience from seeing this area of the stage, whilst the subdued lighting by Chris Davey catches the mood and adds to the balance on stage.
Now to judge by the reaction of the audience the show was a success with the younger members giving voice to their appreciation and the older members showing what they thought by their applause. BA ©
“Death of a Salesman” is at the West Yorkshire Playhouse Leeds on the 1st May April 2010 until the 29th May, 2010. Box Office Telephone: 0113 213 7700. Ticket prices: Adults £16 - £26. Ask about ticket price concessions for children, students, pensioners and disabilitiy. Duration 2 hours 40 minutes with a 20 minutes interval. Council car parking charge was free from 5.30pm until 10pm, unless it is suspended.
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