In February 2019, Queensland Theatre is taking on Arthur Miller’s towering classic Death of a Salesman with seasoned director Jason Klarwein at the helm and a star-studded cast featuring Charles Allen, Kevin Hides, Peter Kowitz, Thomas Larkin, Jackson McGovern, Angie Milliken, Sarah Ogden, Ilai Swindells and Gemma Willing.
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, is widely lauded as one of the greatest plays of the 20th Century, winning a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play in 1949 and going on to be revived on Broadway four times, adapted for cinema and television, and winning more and more awards with every incarnation. Its protagonist, Willy Loman, is one of the most iconic American characters and has been played by legends of the stage and screen including Dustin Hoffman, Brian Dennehy, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Christopher Lloyd.
On programming Death of a Salesman to open Season 2019, Artistic Director Sam Strong said, “For me Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman is one of the greatest plays ever written. It is also one of the most profoundly affecting experiences you can have in a theatre. It is an incredible vehicle for actors and we are thrilled to welcome back Brisbane native Peter Kowitz who has the perfect combination of vulnerability and bluster to bring the famous Willy Loman to life. It is a timeless meditation on the need to feel special, a withering commentary on capitalism, and a tragic portrait of a fallout between father and son. It’s a powerhouse start to season 2019,” said Sam.
Director, Jason Klarwein, said that in a masterstroke of writing, the play is seen as even more relevant today, than perhaps it was when originally penned. “Arthur Miller saw what happened to people in The Great Depression. He saw how large companies and banks exploited the working classes,” Jason said. “We’ve just had a banking royal commission in Australia so local audiences will be very familiar with these themes.”
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