Death of a Salesman, Noël Coward Theatre ****

It is fair to say that I have not been overly impressed by the output of the RSC recently. The Henry IV plays were far from comedy gold and I wasn't charmed by Oppenheimer. There is a certain dry quality to what the company produce which is problematic. However, I think this production of Salesman has restored my admiration for the company. It still is a traditional staging, with nothing particularly revolutionary and yet a combination of Miller's divine text and first rate acting makes overall for a successful production. I wasn't taken with Sher's Fallstaff at all as he took the character to a place that changed and warped the dynamics and the chemistry of the play. This meant that my first opinion of this actor was negative. However, his portrayal of Willy Loman is poignant and awe inspiring to see. Harriet Walter too puts in a stellar performance as Linda, showing the character to be the true salesman of the play in her resolute defence of Willy. The relationship between Sam Marks and Alex Hassell at the start was the moment when I could connect with the characters because of the raw emotion shown. The relationship between Hassell and Sher is also fantastic; far more complex and interesting than in Henry IV. The set design from Stephen Brimson Lewis is a tad too ordinary for me yet there are moments such as the movement scenes that show real promise. The quality of the acting shines in what could be another drab and dull RSC production which left me in tears yet genuinely angry at the society, painted by Miller, that would fail this family.