The Inside of His Head

Photo credit: Keith Sharp Photography.(L to R: Adam Lemieux, Christine Hopkins, Jeff Giles, Bruce Edward)

Dundas Little Theatre’s production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman offers a compelling and thoughtful opportunity to look beyond the play’s traditional critique of the American Dream. Director Matthew Willson, noting Miller’s original working title, The Inside of His Head, reimagines the story as a more nuanced exploration of a man’s fragile inner world.

The design choices immediately reinforce this vision. John Bello’s striking two-level, minimalist set, with its exposed walls and stark staircase, lays bare the Loman home, mirroring the family’s lack of security and emotional vulnerability. The upper bedrooms, outlined only by a thin strip of wire rather than solid walls, suggest the transparency and fragility of their private lives.

The lighting and sound design deserve special mention for vividly reflecting Willy’s mental state. When the protagonist slips into memory, the stage shifts to a subtle golden glow as a projection of a turning gear wheel, a nod to an old clock, spins on the back cyclorama. It’s a deft cue that signals our entry into the mechanical, memory-laden recesses of Willy’s mind.

One small quibble: the early scenes are lit too dimly. While this choice may be intended to evoke the darkness of the characters’ inner turmoil, it slightly distances the audience at first. Still, the brisk pacing quickly restores momentum, and the bright, athletic energy of Biff and Happy’s youthful scenes provides a fleeting sense of vitality and lost potential—a welcome contrast to the play’s prevailing gloom.

At the heart of this production is Bruce Edwards’s extraordinary performance as Willy Loman. His portrayal brims with nuance and emotional truth. The familiar bluster remains, but Edwards begins in exhaustion—his early lines quiet, raw, and weary—foreshadowing the inevitable unravelling ahead. He calibrates his performance with remarkable precision, making Willy’s eruptions of anger and confusion all the more devastating.

Christine Hopkins delivers a commanding turn as Linda. Far from the usual image of a long-suffering housewife, she imbues Linda with fierce resilience and protective strength. Her confrontations with her sons carry real weight, reframing Linda as a woman of inner steel whose love manifests as vigilant defence of her husband’s crumbling psyche.

Jeff Giles (Biff) and Adam Lemieux (Happy) complete the Loman family with solid, grounded performances. Lemieux plays Happy’s hollow bravado with clarity and charm, while Giles brings intensity and conviction to Biff’s torment and search for truth.

Among the supporting cast, John Wallace stands out as Uncle Ben, embodying the ghostly figure with an ideal blend of confidence and theatrical flourish. Rebecca Durrance-Hine’s “Woman/Mistress” exudes vintage 1940s glamour and stylized sensuality—an apt symbol of Willy’s self-deception and guilt. Erik Peters, as Charley, offers a refreshingly natural performance marked by quiet authenticity and warmth.

Dundas Little Theatre’s Death of a Salesman is a resonant, deeply felt interpretation that digs into the psychological machinery behind Miller’s masterpiece. Anchored by Bruce Edwards’s raw vulnerability and Christine Hopkins’s steadfast strength, this production captures the sense of a world collapsing from within, an unforgettable journey inside one man’s head. Essential theatre that demands to be seen.*

DEATH OF A SALESMAN by Arthur Miller continues to November 16
Directed by Matthew Willson
Produced by Valerie Van Landschoot and David Faulkner-Rundle

📍 Dundas Little Theatre, 37 Market Street South, Dundas, Ontario
🎟️ Tickets: 905-627-5266 | dundaslittletheatre.com/tickets
💵 $27 regular | $22 seniors & students (with ID)

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