5 May 2008
Monday 5 May 2008 21:45-22:30 (Radio 3)
Paul Allen and guests discuss Death of a Salesman in a Night Waves Landmarks programme.
John Malkovich and Dustin Hoffman in Death of a Salesman
John Malkovich and Dustin Hoffman![News image]()
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In a Landmark edition of Night Waves, Paul Allen and guests discuss one of the 20th Century's greatest plays - Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. The tragedy of the travelling salesman Willy Loman, his psychological breakdown and eventual suicide is a powerful critique of the American dream. And the troubled relationships between Willy, his wife and two sons have struck a chord with theatregoers ever since it received an ecstatic reception at its premiere in 1948. To discuss this cultural landmark Paul Allen in joined by Doreen Mantle, who won an Olivier Award as Linda Loman in the 1979 National Theatre production opposite Warren Mitchell; Christopher Bigsby, the leading academic authority on Arthur Miller; David Thacker, who has directed ten of Miller's plays including Death of a Salesman, and the writer Mark Ravenhill.
The 1966 adaptation starring Lee J. Cobb as Willy Loman is available on DVD, as is the 1985 version starring Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich.
