Death of a Salesman

Death of a Salesman [1] is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller (1915-2005) [2]. The classic twentieth century American tragedy of the common man. Premiered on Broadway in February 1949.

Translations and adaptations

Presented by TRUK in Afrikaans in the early 1980s under the title Dood van 'n Handelsreisiger starring Johan Malherbe, Louis van Niekerk as Willie Loman, Schalk Schoombie, Jocelyn Broderick. Also produced by SWARUK under the same title starring Alwyn van der Merwe.

Translated into Afrikaans and adapted to a South African setting as Dood van 'n Verkoopsman by Andries Vrey.

Performance history in South Africa

1951/2(?): First produced South Africa by the Sarah Sylvia Company at the new Johannesburg Reps Theatre in Johannesburg with Israeli actor Jacob Ben-Ami as "Willy Loman" and Leon Gluckman as "Biff", co-directed by Ben-Ami and Gluckman.

196*?: The first locally produced version was by Leonard Schach??****.

1975: Produced by PACT, directed by Ken Leach, featuring Joe Stewardson (Willy Loman), Diane Wilson (Linda), Bill Flynn (Biff), Richard Haines (Happy), Frantz Dobrowsky (Bernard), Helen Jessop (The Woman), Stuart Brown (Charley), Norman Coombes (Uncle Ben), Errol Ross (Howard Wagner), Diana Cox (Jenny), Denis Betterworth (Stanley), Ingrid von Bergen (Miss Forsythe) and Lesley Nott (Letta).

1979: Produced by CAPAB Drama opening 2 March 1979 at the Nico Malan Theatre, directed by Roy Sergeant, starring Michael Atkinson, Diane Wilson, Paul Slabolepszy, Ian Roberts, Neville Thomas, Joyce Bradley, Ronald France, Roger Dwyer, Peter Cartwright, Eileen Thorns, Brian Kennedy, Mary Dreyer, Clare Stopford, Simon Swindell. Set and costume designer Raimond Schoop, lighting designer John T. Baker. This production was dedicated to the memory of Johann Nell. Music composed and selected by Michael Tuffin.

2000: Produced by Spoornet State Theatre Productions at the Pretoria State Theatre and the National Arts Festival.

2001: Produced by Bobby Heaney Productions (in association with the Baxter Theatre Centre), directed by Bobby Heaney, with Bill Flynn (Willy Loman), Frantz Dobrowsky (Charley), Dale Cutts (Uncle Ben), Martin le Maitre (Happy), Gideon Emery (Bernard), Langley Kirkwood (Biff), Michelle Maxwell (Linda), Jo da Silva (The Woman), Justin Strydom (Howard Wagner/ Stanley), Nathalie G'Mure (Jenny/Miss Forsythe) and Leona Loseby (Letta). Lighting design by Mannie Manim, music by Janine Neethling and set design by Stan Knight.

2010: Andries Vrey's Afrikaans translation/adaptation Dood van 'n Verkoopsman was staged at the KKNK and Aardklop festival featuring Ben Kruger and Bettie Kemp.

Sources

PACT theatre programme, 1975.

Death of a Salesman theatre programme (CAPAB), 1979.

National Arts Festival programme, 2000.

The Star, 16 Aug 2000.

Beeld 28 Aug 2010.

Bobby Heaney Productions theatre programme, 2001.

Petru & Carel Trichardt theatre programme collection.

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