Frog and I saw Death of a Salesman at the West Yorkshire Playhouse last Friday – last time I went to the theatre was to see Othello back in 2009 so it was a bit of a treat!
Reading up on the play, I’m pretty astonished to find out it’s been around for over 60 years – I knew it was old but to have been on stage for that long is quite an achievement. I can see why – one of the first scenes involves the eldest (and prodigal) son Biff, talking about how he’d rather be working on a ranch somewhere than wasting his life in a City job, always hoping for something better. He talks about being a cog in the machine, and not even knowing you are, and he makes it sound like a waste of a life. He says if you know yourself, and stay true to yourself, you’re happier…even if it means turning your back on what people ‘expect’ you to do.
It’s really evocative of the despair some people feel once they’re trapped in the system, and it still resonates even today.
The acting was probably the best I’ve seen at the theatre, with a strong central cast. There are some quite physical scenes, and a lot of the scenes segue seamlessly into each other taking us back and forwards in time. Three hours went by really quickly, whereas before I’ve found plays to drag on a bit.
I totally recommend seeing Death of a Salesman- it’s on at the Playhouse till the 29th May.
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