Text on the left says

Text at the top says "Salesman in China". Below on the left, text says "Critic's Pick. 'A brilliant new play' The Globe and Mail". Text on the right says, "'Captivating'. 'Storytelling magic'. Postmedia". In the centre, Ying Ruocheng and Arthur Miller sitting together on a bench. Ying holds a script loosely in one hand, and is taking off his glasses with the other. Photography by David Hou.

Liu Jun, Inge Morath, Zhu Lin and Wu Shiliang stand together in a dressing room.

Five performers of a Chinese revolutionary opera. They pose one foot with the other extended, as if in a ballet pose. They are dressed in Red Army uniforms and holding rifles.

Arthur Milles sits in a theatre with an exasperated expression, surrounded by a Chinese audience chatting and eating food. The image is lit in a dim blue light.

Avon Theatre

August 3 – October 27 |

Opens August 23

Modern

SALESMAN IN CHINA

By Leanna Brodie and Jovanni Sy

Suggested by the Memoirs of Arthur Miller and Ying Ruocheng

Chinese Translations by Fang Zhang

Directed by Jovanni Sy

World Première

Literary Acknowledgements

Salesman in Beijing
by Arthur Miller
with photographs by Inge Morath

Voices Carry: Behind Bars and Backstage during China's Revolution and Reform
by Ying Ruocheng and Claire Conceison

Death of a Salesman
a play by Arthur Miller
Chinese translation by Ying Ruocheng

Audience Advisory »

Please note: This play is presented in English and Mandarin with surtitles

“MY HEAD FEELS LIKE A BRIDGE THAT ALL OF BEIJING HAS BEEN WALKING OVER.”

In 1983, playwright Arthur Miller made history by travelling to China to direct a production of his classic play Death of a Salesman. Working with the Beijing People’s Art Theatre, Miller and his collaborators struggled to bridge the gap between languages, cultures and national identities for an audience long shut off from the West. Enjoying its world première at Stratford’s Avon Theatre, Salesman in China retells this daring act of cultural cross-pollination on stage.
閱讀繁體中文 | Read in Traditional Chinese
阅读简体中文 | Read in Simplified Chinese

“A brillaint new play, fully ready to take the world's stages by storm” – The Globe and Mail

“A production that demonstrates the capactiy for art to unite, challenge and, ultimately, heal us” – Toronto Star

“《推销员在中国》真是精彩至极，远超出我们的预期！……强推！！！”

“[Salesman in China] was absolutely spectacular, far exceeding our expectations!... Highly recommended!!!” — Local Chinese Community Fan (Translated)

Runtime:

Two hours and 24 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission*
*Please note that all run times are approximate

Resources:

Salesman in China Study Guide

CAST & CREATIVE

CAST

CREATIVE

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO

Ying Ruocheng is wearing a suit, and looks towards the audience with concern. Wu Shiliang stands beside him, holding his arm and looking at him.

Adrian Pang 彭耀順 and Jo Chim 詹翠珊 in Salesman in China, 2024. Photography by David Hou.

Cao Yu and Ying Ruocheng sit beside each other. Cao is holding a cane in one hand and pointing with the other while Ying looks towards him.

Derek Kwan 關顯揚 and Adrian Pang 彭耀順 in Salesman in China, 2024. Photography by David Hou.

A rehearsal hall in Beijing. In the foreground, a Chinese man rides a bike. Behind him, people are busy arranging tables and chairs.

Members of the company in Salesman in China, 2024. Photography by David Hou.

A group of predominantly Chinese people sit and stand around a rehearsal hall. On the stairs behind them, a person is taking a photo of the room.

Adrian Pang 彭耀順 (centre) with members of the company in Salesman in China, 2024. Photography by David Hou.

Arthur Miller and Inge Morath are seated together on a bench. In the background, two Chinese tourists are smiling and appear to be reading the same book together.

Tom McCamus and Sarah Orenstein with Harriet Chung 鍾浩賢 and Justin Eddy in Salesman in China, 2024. Photography by David Hou.

Five performers of a Chinese revolutionary opera. They pose one foot with the other extended, as if in a ballet pose. They are dressed in Red Army uniforms and holding rifles.

Members of the company in Salesman in China, 2024. Photography by David Hou.

Arthur Miller and Inge Morath sit in a living room in China with Wi Shiliang and Ying Ruocheng sitting on either side. They appear amicable and all have glasses of alcohol.

From left: Jo Chim 詹翠珊, Tom McCamus, Sarah Orenstein and Adrian Pang 彭耀順 in Salesman in China, 2024. Photography by David Hou.

Ying Ruocheng and Arthur Miller sitting together on a bench, facing away from one another. Ying holds a script loosely in one hand, and is taking off his glasses with the other.

Adrian Pang 彭耀順 and Tom McCamus in Salesman in China, 2024. Photography by David Hou.

Mi Tiezeng is seated at a desk holding a script, and Zhu Lin stands beside him holding another script.

Phoebe Hu 胡馨勻 with Angus Yam 任孝聰 and 郝邦宇 Steven Hao in Salesman in China, 2024. Photography by David Hou.

In a dressing room, Liu Jun sits in a chair, looking frightened, while Zhu Lin, Inge Morath and Wu Shiliang stand or crouch around her.

From left: Phoebe Hu 胡馨勻, Sarah Orenstein, Jo Chim 詹翠珊 and Agnes Tong 唐若馨 in Salesman in China, 2024. Photography by David Hou.

Arthur Milles sits in a theatre with an exasperated expression, surrounded by a Chinese audience chatting and eating food. The image is lit in a dim blue light.

Tom McCamus with members of the company in Salesman in China, 2024. Photography by David Hou.

Ying Ruocheng, wearing a suit, stands between two suitcases. He holds his hat in one hand just over his head, looking sad. He is lit in blue light.

Adrian Pang 彭耀順 in Salesman in China, 2024. Photography by David Hou.

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