Arthur Miller’s first play, The Man Who Had All the Luck, continues its first tour of Scotland at Peebles’ Eastgate Theatre tonight at 7.30pm.
The story follows the life of David Beeves, a motor mechanic in a small rural Midwest American town in the late 1930s, who is continually blessed with almost supernatural good fortune.
In contrast, his family and friends face difficult times: his father desperately trying to raise his under-performing brother to success on the baseball pitch, and his friend Shory, who is confined to a wheelchair, becoming increasingly resentful of his misfortune.
While those around him suffer everyday failures, David continues to prosper.
Yet the more success he achieves, the more guilty, depressed and paranoid he feels about the plight of those around him.
Like Midas, everything he touches is tinged with gold, leaving him to wonder if and when his luck will change and he, too, will be forced to deal with life’s tragedies, until he eventually realises that his good heart, hard work, and quick thought have been responsible for his success far more than luck.
The Man Who Had All The Luck remained one of Arthur Miller’s least-known plays for more than 50 years, until it was revived in 2000.
And this year, Sell a Door Theatre Company tours Miller’s masterpiece across Scotland for the first time.
The play is directed by David Hutchinson, and designed by Richard Evans, with a cast including Edward M. Corrie, Karen Bartke, Stephen Bisland, John Clyde, Richard Morse, Chris Anderton, Kenny Blyth and Megan Pitt.
A spokesperson explained: “Sell a Door tries to produce their season to cater for a wide genre of ages and tastes, yet the majority of their touring work is targeted at the young adult and teenage bracket.
“Bringing young people to the theatre is essential in growing our industry, and with the competition of cinema, online entertainment and other media outlets, Sell a Door feels its greatest challenge is to attract young adults and teenagers (who usually would not attend live theatre) to see their shows and excite them of the possibilities in theatre.”
The Sell a Door Theatre Company was established in 2007 by a small group of artists studying at The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. In the years since being incorporated, Sell a Door has produced an impressive portfolio of work, such as UK tours of Dracula, A Taste of Honey and Lord of the Flies, and has established itself as a leading producer of mid-scale touring theatre, and one of the UK’s liveliest companies.
Tickets cost £14. Go to www.eastgatearts.com, or call 01721 725 777.