OBSERVER: Death of a Salesman
GWB Entertainment and Andrew Henry Presents have announced the return of Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic play Death of a Salesman to Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne, for a strictly limited two-week season from August 11.
Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony Award winner Anthony LaPaglia will reprise his role as Willy Loman, for which he received rave reviews for the Melbourne, Sydney and Perth seasons.
LaPaglia’s portrayal of Willy Loman offers an opportunity to see this actor at home in Australia in one of the most iconic plays of the 20th Century.
Anthony LaPaglia expressed his delight at returning to the role of Willy Loman for an encore season at Her Majesty’s Theatre Melbourne where the production triumphed in 2023.
He said: “Arthur Miller was the presiding genius of American theatre in the 20th Century and Death of a Salesman arguably his finest achievement .
“I was lucky enough to meet and work with Arthur when I played Eddie Carbone in A View From the Bridge on Broadway in 1997 and feel a deep affinity for his work. “The story of Willy Loman is simply one of the greatest roles ever written and remains timeless in its creation of the tragic unravelling of a man’s identity after years of neglecting his relationships and true self-fulfilment.
“You see the effect this has on his devoted wife and the shattered relationships with his sons.
“It also speaks profoundly to the American Dream and, in many ways, foreshadows the dissolution of that dream in the 21st Century. Even after 77-years, this play, like all great classics, is as powerful and relevant as ever.”
Directed by Neil Armfield (Cloudstreet, The Diary of a Madman, The Secret River), this celebrated production offers theatre-goers an opportunity to witness the power of live theatre in a transformative experience.
“When we developed this production of Arthur Miller’s great drama of the failure of the American Dream, Biden was in the White House.
“With the extraordinary Anthony LaPaglia at its heart, the success of our show gathered and extended. As the presidency changed, we were shocked at Miller’s prescience.
“And now, as the Trump administration seems on the verge of chaotic collapse, this great play is all the more alive and urgent. I’m thrilled to be joining this brilliant cast once again as we bring this dazzling work of human imagination to life”, shared Armfield.
LaPaglia and Armfield will be joined by an Australian cast, including Logie and Helpmann Award winner Alison Whyte reprising the role of Linda Loman, the complex and devoted wife of the failing salesman and Josh Helman (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga) in his Green Room Award nominated performance as Willy’s tortured son Biff Loman, the golden boy who has descended into self-doubt and despair, with Ben O’Toole also reprising his role as Biff’s feckless brother Happy.
Tickets are now on sale from salesmanaustralia.com.au
Cheryl Threadgold
Pictured: Anthony La Paglia in Death of a Salesman. Photo: Jeff Busby