Scottish TV and film star David Hayman leads a strong cast in the debut tour this spring of one of the greatest plays of the 20th Century.
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman plays the Lowry, Salford (April 29-May 3) – which joins Crewe (March 27-29) as the only North West dates.
David Hayman (Sid and Nancy, Dad’s Army, Andor) plays Willy Loman alongside Beth Marshall, Daniel Cahill, Michael Wallace and Benny Young, as well as an abundance of other fine company members. The play is directed by Andy Arnold.
Arthur Miller’s play leads an audience on a thrilling journey through the last 24 hours of Loman’s life – filled with his memories, dreams and struggles and pitting a father’s expectations against his son’s realities. Willy’s world unravels as he faces the truth about his life and legacy, and the sacrifices made in pursuit of the so-called American Dream.
David Hayman said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be bringing the play on tour. It’s a true masterpiece: raw, timeless and deeply moving.
The Pulitzer and multi-award-winning classic is directed by Andy Arnold, one of the top directors to have emerged in Scottish theatre in the last 40 years. Formerly artistic director of Glasgow's Tron Theatre, his work is acclaimed for its boldness and creativity and his ability to breathe life into classic texts.
Why did Andy want to direct the play? Why did David want to play Willy Loman?
“Well, I think it‘s one of the greatest plays ever written, really,” said Andy. “When the producers talked to me about the possibility, we thought it’s such a brilliant play, it’ll fill large theatres.
"David and I also wanted to do another show together after working on the Scottish premiere of David Ireland’s hard-hitting drama Cyprus Avenue [at the Tron in 2023]. We just Salesman would be such a wonderful play to do. And for David to play that part, Willy Loman, is just fantastic.
“It’s great writing and great characters; an audience invests in and cares about them. They want to know what‘s going to happen to them. So we go on this journey of just over 24 hours with Willy.”
“For me,” added David, “it‘s one of the greatest plays of the 20th Century. It’s a really brilliant, timeless classic with a universal message. Usually, tragedies are about kings and queens and tyrants and despots, and this is just about an ordinary working man. He‘s a salesman. He tears up and down the cities and the towns of New England. And he‘s a failure, you know? He lives in this fantasy world.”
Both men agree that despite being written in 1949, the play is as relevant today as it was after World War II, when the dream of hard work bringing great rewards was a key belief for thousands of struggling former soldiers.
“The issues of family struggles and failed expectations and somebody struggling with his job and love and betrayal and all these things, they‘re all common themes to everybody throughout the world,” Andy suggested.
“So it resonates as much now as it did when it was first staged, 70 years ago. And in another 70 years, it will probably still be just as popular.”