Review: Death of a Salesman, Glasgow

Name: Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
Brand: Trafalgar Theatre Productions and Raw Material Arts
Rating: 3 (1 reviews)

Lisa in the theatre
Mar 10
4 min read

Updated: Mar 11

Arthur Miller's classic play 'Death of a Salesman' is revived for a new production with a Glasgow premier and UK tour in 2025 by acclaimed director Andy Arnold, Trafalgar Theatre Productions and Raw Material Arts. Find out what I thought of Willy Loman's latest outing here.

Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow | 7 March 2025

David Hayman in Death of a Salesman, Credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Death of a Salesman UK tour review | Raw Material & Trafalgar Theatres ⭐⭐⭐

It's 1949. Willy Loman has arrived home in Brooklyn after a hard day as a travelling salesman. He's tired but also confused. Willy's wife Linda comforts and reassures him, but his mind soon drifts to the past and fond memories of the couple's two sons Biff and Happy. Coming back to the present, Willy seems confused about which model of car he's been driving all day; and we soon understand from Willy and Linda's conversation that Willy has crashed his car on a few occasions too.

And so Andy Arnold's new production of Arthur Miller's classic play Death of a Salesman begins. It's an intriguing start. I want to know more about this man, his job, his life. Does he have dementia? Or is he just tired? What about his sons - what became of them? What's wrong with his car!?

Over the course of the play, we follow Willy as he lives out the final hours of his life. Haunted by his memories, some real, some elorabted. Memories of past success, memories of an affair, memories of his sons' early successes - none of which reconcile with the present Willy finds himself in.

It's a solemn affair with a nervy performance from the great David Hayman failing to steady the ship. With simple, muted staging and an overly long, 3 hour run time, it's hard work to stay engaged despite the best efforts of a truly excellent supporting cast. Ultimately however, the quality of Arthur Miller's writing shines. Death of a Salesman is considered his masterpiece, and this play still manages to pack a punch in its tragic portrayal of the everyman chasing the American Dream.

Beth Marshall and David Hayman in Death of a Salesman, Credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan — Beth Marshall & David Hayman in Death of a Salesman, Credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

At 77, David Hayman is a tad older than Willy Loman's 60, but with that, Hayman brings an authenticity and fragility to the salesman who's worked all his life and now finds himself sidelined by the younger generation.

I've never seen Hayman be anything less than superb - he's one of our greats - but on a few occasions here he seemed to stumble over his lines, or be unsure of his exact place in the script. This could of course be interpreted as purposefully being 'in character' , but I'm not convinced.

Hayman is the protagonist of what is a very long and dialogue heavy play - he's barely off stage for the 3 hours. I'm in awe of anyone who can remember half as many lines, and he absolutely still manages to impress with a convincing, heartbreaking performance of a complex character.

Beth Marshall is stunning in her touching portrayal of Willy's tolerant and protective wife Linda. And Daniel Cahill (Biff) and Michael Wallace (Happy) are strong as their two sons who we see progress the characters from their teenage years through to adulthood.

The remainder of the company seem a little underused. They sit at the side of the stage, in full view of the audience for the entire show, patiently waiting for their few moments in the limelight. All of them, without exception, are fantastic, and the energy in the room lifts whenever a new character takes to the stage. But I was left wanting to see more from them.

Bailey Newsome, Fay Guiffo and Michael Wallace in Death of a Salesman. Credit Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Despite it's solemn nature, Death of a Salesman does have some moments of humour. But there's no denying it's a long, wordy play. With so much detail and so many characters presented to the audience and very little in terms of staging to capture the audience's interest, it does become a bit of a challenge. I understand not wanting to lose any of Miller's beautiful prose and rich detail, but I wonder if more could be done to present it in a refreshing, engaging way for a modern audience.

Death of a Salesman is still relevant today, and a new production of it will always be welcome. In 2025 working families are still struggling to make ends meet; parents still dream big for their children and are often disappointed; many older workers struggle to accept the changing reality of their workplace and of society. Willy's story remains so powerful exactly because it is so common, normal, ordinary. Willy is proud but ultimately he's just a normal man. He could be any of us. It's beautifully tragic.

Death of a Salesman is at Glasgow Pavilion Theatre until Sunday 9th March 2025 and then heads out on tour across the UK. Find all dates and venues here.

For more information on this production of Death of a Salesman visit their website: www.deathofasalesmantour.co.uk