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13th - 17th March
The set was the first thing that struck me as I walked into the auditorium, being highly simplistic and modern in appearance. Despite this, the setting was clear right through thanks to the strong acting quality and the fluent scene changes. The majority of the play takes place in the home of Willy Loman, an American salesman who is brought low by his pursuit for the ‘American Dream’ – status success, wealth and power. I already knew I was in for a slice of stimulating theatre.
Roger Delves-Broughton took the role of Willy, and managed to draw in the audience with his immense portrayal of such a complex character. He was met by Marshall Griffin as his son Biff, who gave a captivating performance with perfect degrees of emotion and energy throughout. Kate Layden gave an emotive performance as Willy’s wife Linda, although her American accent was muddled at times. All other cast members did well, and a mention must go Shuna Snow who although minor in a role, injected effective comedic relief from the intense storyline.
The use of flashback scenes from Willy’s memory appeared, at first, confusing, but as they developed, they became a clearer aspect in progressing the story-line. The high standard of acting helped to effectively illustrate the relationships between the characters, successfully building tension and emotion throughout the production, up to the climax of the piece. This final climatic scene brought tears to the audience’s eyes owing to Kate Layden’s emotive finale.
A remarkable piece of theatre doing justice to Miller’s classic modern tragedy.
Henry Petrides |