DEATH of A Salesman is probably Arthur Miller's best-known play.

Its main character is definitely one of his most demanding roles, and the difficult job of portraying Willie Loman at Bolton's Octagon theatre falls to David Fleeshman.

David, who is married to former Brookside actress Sue Jenkins, and is father of Coronation Street star Richard Fleeshman, has fond memories of previous visits to the Octagon.

He said: "Sue and I knew each other before we started working here in 1974. I stayed here until 1976.

"In those days, you were contracted for a year and started rehearsing one show while the other was still running. I did a Shakespeare season here with Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth and the Tempest."

David went on to appear on stage at theatres all over the country - he played Joe Keller in Miller's All My Sons, and Eddie Carbone in A View From The Bridge - and television productions such as Boys From The Blackstuff and Emmerdale, as well as in films such as Pink Floyd's The Wall and The Nature of the Beast.

He has been treading the boards for 33 years and in 2005 won best actor in a supporting role at the MEN Theatre awards for Arthur Miller's The Price.

Despite his pedigree, he said Willie Loman is one of the toughest roles in theatre. In fact, when he was first approached by Octagon artistic director Mark Babych about the role, he declined, before being convinced he should tackle it.

He said: "You can re-read the play and discover something new each time. Playing the part is a bit like running a marathon seven times a week.

"Death of A Salesman is one of the greatest pieces of 20th century literature and playing Willie Loman is a mammoth part, a bit like King Lear."

The play sees the career of once-successful salesman Loman on the slide and his pursuit of the American Dream, leaving his mental health in tatters and his family life suffering.

l Death of a Salesman starts tonight and runs until April 7. Tickets are £7.50 to £17.50 on 01204 520661 or online at www.octagonbolton.co.uk