They have gone back to the well and the result is every bit as impressive as it was first time around (which was three years ago). I speak of Anthony Lapaglia, Alison Whyte and Josh Helman in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, one of the finest plays of the 20th century. It won the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play in the same year. It is an incendiary look at the American Dream, which relates to the opportunity for individual prosperity and success. The action takes place in 1940s New York, with flashbacks to earlier times.
For 34 years Willy Loman (Anthony Lapaglia) has been a travelling salesman for the same firm. At age 63, he remains on the road, covering thousands upon thousands of kilometres. His territory is New England. He is tired and washed up. Willy was once the pride of his company, feted by the current owner Howard Wagner’s (Simon Maiden) father Frank, who has since passed. Now working only on commission and seen by Howard as a liability, Willy doesn’t make enough to cover the household expenses. In fact, he has to turn to his neighbour Charley (Marco Chiappi) for regular handouts, to pay his way.
Despite his grumbles and escalating worries, Willy’s wife Linda (Alison Whyte) loves him dearly. Of late, Willy’s mind also appears to be going. Not aware of his lack of standing with his boss, Linda urges Willy to ask Howard for an office job in New York to lighten his load. She and Willy have two adult children who are temporarily staying with them, sharing their old room. Willy bemoans the fact that the elder, Biff (Josh Helman), has made nothing of himself.
Biff is but a transient farm hand, earning little money, although his future could have been so different. As a teenager, Biff was a football star, destined for a college scholarship until he flunked maths. Then, his life started to unravel. He fell out with Willy, whom he still cares for, but whenever they talk, they end up locking horns. Willy’s younger son “Happy” (Ben O’Toole) is a womaniser and a big talker, who has his eyes on a more prestigious job than he currently has. Truth be told, despite pumping himself up, he is an assistant to the assistant buyer of a local store.
Happy would love to go into business with his brother. They come up with a plan, with Biff determined to approach a former employer for funding. As Willy’s mental state continues to deteriorate, he has increasing visions of his older brother Ben (Anthony Phelan). The latter made a fortune in Africa by the time he was 21. Friendless and losing all hope, Willy’s final blow comes at Howard’s hands, while the reception Biff receives from his former employer is equally shattering.
In September 2023, Anthony Lapaglia’s Australian stage debut couldn’t have been any more triumphant. His reprise of the role of Willy Loman hits the mark with equal gravitas. In a demanding lead role, Lapaglia’s gravelly-voiced representation is a masterclass of push, pull and nuance. Loman is, at times, belligerent, obstinate, frustrated, enthusiastic and beaten. Lapaglia captures all with aplomb. He metamorphosises into a man whose fate is sealed. Whyte is dynamic and assured as his devoted wife, conscious that all is far from right, but desperate to keep things together to see him through.
Josh Helman brings a sense of desperation to his role as an unfulfilled 34-year-old labourer who could never live up to his father’s expectations. Ben O’Toole channels a smooth communicator without substance, whose life’s station is hardly what he represents it to be. Anthony Phelan imbues Willy Loman’s wealthy and successful dead brother Ben with self-importance. Ben has little time to listen to Willy’s overtures. Marco Chiappi infuses Willy’s ongoing “provider” Charley with warmth, humour and heart.
Darcy Brown makes his mark by way of impressive sharp contrast – as Charley’s successful and measured son and hitherto as Biff’s frenzied classmate and friend. Simon Maiden gives Howard a pragmatic, dismissive edge – with no time for “passengers” – as Willy’s second-generation boss. All cast members – including Aisha Aidara, Paula Arundell and Elizabeth Blackmore – perform strongly. There is no weak link in this highly accomplished production.
The single set design by Dale Ferguson is clever, evocative and utilitarian. It represents seven rows of bleacher seats, with a coach’s box at the top, at Major League Baseball stadium Ebbets Field. The venue was home to the Brooklyn Dodgers until the 1950s and five professional football teams, including three NFL teams. Miller’s script makes several references to Biff’s budding football career. The set also allows for the actors to be seated on stage while waiting for their next lines.
The production values, including costuming, sound and lighting design, elevate the spectacle. Direction from Neil Armfield (who worked with Lapaglia on the film Holding the Man) is exemplary. For a play which is all but three hours, there is no let down. With few props, the action moves along at pace. Its emotional resonance endures, all the more so given the current state of the world and how difficult it is for many to make ends meet. A trip to Her Majesty’s Theatre to see Death of a Salesman is well rewarded. It is playing there until 22nd August.
Next stop is Brisbane’s Lyric Theatre, QPAC from 28th August to 6th September and then it is on to Adelaide Festival Theatre from 26th September to 4th October, 2026.
Alex First
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- Death of a Salesman (Her Majesty’s Theatre) – theatre review
- Death of a Salesman (Chapel Off Chapel) – theatre review
- Death of a Salesman (fortyfivedownstairs) – theatre review
Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.