Reviewed by Mary Alderson Entertain This Thought. (Reprinted with the permission of the author.)
(Tom McCamus as Willy Loman and Lucy Peacock as Linda Loman, Death of a Salesman. Stratford Festival 2026. Photo by David Hou.)
Willy Loman always thought of himself as an excellent salesman. He was going to climb to the top, get a new territory, and make more money. Years go by, and nothing changes, but he continues to lie to himself and his family about how well he is doing. It’s the lack of reality, the lack of truth, and the fact that he isn’t reaching the American Dream that leads to his eventual but actually unavoidable death.
This gut-wrenching story, probably Arthur Miller’s best play, is now on stage at the Avon Theatre in Stratford. Written in 1948, the hissing sound of that American Dream deflating still resonates. In fact, it’s loudly disappearing in 2026, making it an apt choice for this season.
Death of a Salesman is the story of Willy Loman, a man who takes great pride in his sales abilities. He brags constantly that he is well-liked and has the largest territory, exaggerating his income. He also has great hopes for his son Biff, who was a high school football star, and could have gone to university on scholarship if he hadn’t failed math. He still believes that Biff and his brother, Hap, will do great things and come into their own.
(Tom McCamus as Willy Loman. Photo: David Hou.)
In reality, Willy is a failure at his job and gets fired, and both sons are ne’er-do-wells. Biff is a drifter who has spent time in jail for theft, and Hap is a philanderer who has a menial job. But Willy has bragged and fantasized for so long, he now believes his own glorified lies. Then aging takes its toll. As reality sets in, he hallucinates, talking out loud to his own brother about what could have been, reliving affairs he had with women on the road, and talking to his sons as if they were back in high school. He tells the boys to steal from the construction site next door and cheat on their school exams, then wonders where they went wrong. Sadly, his wife, Linda, goes along with his lies, yet he treats her badly.
The dialogue is brilliantly written; a condemnation of the so-called American Dream. One can’t help but think of Donald Trump, when he says, ‘Make American Great Again’, is this picture of life in 1949, where he wants to take America? The good old days just weren’t that good. One also thinks of Willy Loman as Trump: someone who has lied and embellished the truth so often that he actually believes his own B.S.
Tom McCamus is perfect as Willy Loman. Of course, McCamus is brilliant in any role he takes on. But he handles this role so well, moving from Willy’s fits of mania where he thinks he’s going to win over his boss to get a better territory, slamming down to the depths of depression when reality hits, and becoming suicidal. McCamus is so convincing when Willy spirals out of control, seeing events from his past and losing track of reality.
Lucy Peacock is also perfection as his wife, Linda Loman, putting up with his mood swings and protecting him when life slaps him in the face. There is some cheeky casting with McCamus’s real-life wife, Chick Reid, playing the other Woman, in a flashback scene when son Biff catches them together.
Biff is played flawlessly by Joe Perry, who wants so much to please his father and earn his father’s praise, yet he’s old enough to see the reality of their pointless lives. The younger son, Hap, is played very well by Josh Johnston. He makes us fear that he is going to become just like his father. The supporting cast members are impeccable, all adding to the futility of Willy’s life.
(Joe Perry as Biff Loman and Lucy Peacock as Linda Loman. Photo: David Hou.)
This is an excellent production of Death of a Salesman, designed to make you think. You leave the theatre feeling lost and discouraged. But this is tempered by the quality of the script, and you can marvel at how it has withstood the test of time. And of course, you can appreciate the intense, excellent quality acting you just saw on the stage.
Death of a Salesman continues in repertory until October 24 at the Avon Theatre, Stratford. Tickets are available at the Stratford Festival at 1-800-567-1600, or check www.stratfordfestival.ca
Death of a Salesman
By Arthur Miller
Directed by Dean Gabourie
Composer and Music Curator Michael Louis Johnson
Director of Music Franklin Brasz
Performed by Tom McCamus, Lucy Peacock, Joe Perry, Josh Johnston, Raymond Strachan, Chick Reid, Matthew Kabwe, David W. Keeley, Irene Poole, Sean Arbuckle, Krystin Pellerin, Nadine Villasin, Devin MacKinnon.
Avon Theatre, Stratford
May 28 to October 24, 2026
Reviewed by Mary Alderson
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