Dario Fo
Dario Fo was born on 26 March 1926 in San Giano, a small town on Lago Maggiore in the province of Varese.
His family consisted of: his father Felice, socialist, station master and actor in an amateur theatre company; his mother Pina Rota, a woman of great imagination and talent (in the 1970s her autobiographical account "Il paese delle rane", telling the history of her home town, was published by Einaudi); his brother Fulvio and his sister Bianca; and his maternal grandfather, who had a farm in Lomellina, where young Dario spent his childhood vacations. In 1940
he moved to Milan (commuting from Luino) to study at the Brera Art
Academy. After the war, he began to study architecture at the Polytechnic, but interrupts his studies with only a few exams left to complete his degree. 1945-51 he turns his attention to stage design and theatre décor.He begins to improvise monologues.
Fo began to write for a wider audience and produced work which was not only an important political intervention in Italy at the time but has since become internationally acclaimed.
In 1970 he and his wife founded the theatrical collective La Comune in Milan. His work has been performed in England with great success.
Dario Fo was born on 26 March 1926 in San Giano, a small town on Lago Maggiore in the province of Varese.
His family consisted of: his father Felice, socialist, station master and actor in an amateur theatre company; his mother Pina Rota, a woman of great imagination and talent (in the 1970s her autobiographical account "Il paese delle rane", telling the history of her home town, was published by Einaudi); his brother Fulvio and his sister Bianca; and his maternal grandfather, who had a farm in Lomellina, where young Dario spent his childhood vacations. In 1940
he moved to Milan (commuting from Luino) to study at the Brera Art
Academy. After the war, he began to study architecture at the Polytechnic, but interrupts his studies with only a few exams left to complete his degree. 1945-51 he turns his attention to stage design and theatre décor.He begins to improvise monologues.
Fo began to write for a wider audience and produced work which was not only an important political intervention in Italy at the time but has since become internationally acclaimed.
In 1970 he and his wife founded the theatrical collective La Comune in Milan. His work has been performed in England with great success.
Giuseppe Pinelli
Giuseppe Pinelli was born 21st October 1928 in the working class neighbourhood of Porta Ticinese in Milan. He worked from a young age as an errand boy, and then later as a warehouse worker. In 1944-45 as a teenager he operated as a courier for an anarchist partisan group operating in the Milan area. Despite having to work at an early age he managed to educate himself by reading hundreds of books.The 1960s saw the steady growth of the Milanese anarchist movement, which accelerated after 1968. This was in no small way due to Giuseppe who organised young anarchists in the Gioventu Libertaria (Libertarian Youth) in 1963. Two years later he was one of those who founded the Sacco and Vanzetti Circle who found themselves a local centre which remained open for the next decade. In 1968 with the end of that circle he founded the Ponte della Ghisolfa Circle (named after the nearby bridge) on 1st May.On 25th April 1969 fascists initiated a series of bomb attacks as part of the Strategy of Tension which involved the manipulation of the Italian secret services working together with the American CIA. Some Milanese anarchists were arrested for this as part of a scheme to discredit the revolutionary movement.Pino had attracted the attention of the police and in the aftermath of the December 1969 bombings he was arrested and taken to the central police station to be interrogated by Calabresi and his henchmen. On the evening of 15th December he "fell" from the fourth floor of the police station.The state murder of Pinelli set off a wave of protest. One thousand people attended his funeral. Later Dario Fo wrote his play Accidental Death of An Anarchist about Pinelli’s murder and the framing of Valpreda.
Giuseppe Pinelli was born 21st October 1928 in the working class neighbourhood of Porta Ticinese in Milan. He worked from a young age as an errand boy, and then later as a warehouse worker. In 1944-45 as a teenager he operated as a courier for an anarchist partisan group operating in the Milan area. Despite having to work at an early age he managed to educate himself by reading hundreds of books.The 1960s saw the steady growth of the Milanese anarchist movement, which accelerated after 1968. This was in no small way due to Giuseppe who organised young anarchists in the Gioventu Libertaria (Libertarian Youth) in 1963. Two years later he was one of those who founded the Sacco and Vanzetti Circle who found themselves a local centre which remained open for the next decade. In 1968 with the end of that circle he founded the Ponte della Ghisolfa Circle (named after the nearby bridge) on 1st May.On 25th April 1969 fascists initiated a series of bomb attacks as part of the Strategy of Tension which involved the manipulation of the Italian secret services working together with the American CIA. Some Milanese anarchists were arrested for this as part of a scheme to discredit the revolutionary movement.Pino had attracted the attention of the police and in the aftermath of the December 1969 bombings he was arrested and taken to the central police station to be interrogated by Calabresi and his henchmen. On the evening of 15th December he "fell" from the fourth floor of the police station.The state murder of Pinelli set off a wave of protest. One thousand people attended his funeral. Later Dario Fo wrote his play Accidental Death of An Anarchist about Pinelli’s murder and the framing of Valpreda.
Accidental Death Of An Anarchist
Act 1 Scene 1
Purpose of stage directions-
Stage directions are placed in a play to organise and follow an actor's movements. Stage directions cover the physical aspect of the scene and illustrate where everything should be placed and in what manner in order to make the scene come alive and provide details about how the playwright has imagined the environment and atmosphere. Another crucial purpose of stage directions is that they dictate the rhythm and tempo of the scene so that the flow of it all seems very natural.
Accidental Death of an Anarchist opens in a room in a police station, where Inspector Bertozzo is interviewing the Maniac, reviewing his arrest record. He notes that the Maniac has been arrested many times for impersonation, the same reason for his arrest this time. The Maniac points out that although he has been arrested, he has never been convicted of a crime. He tells the inspector that he is insane, that he cannot be charged because he is mad. The inspector, incredulous, continues posing questions to the Maniac. The Maniac evades the inspector's questions and denies any real wrongdoing. For example, in response to the inspector's accusation that the Maniac has not only been impersonating a psychiatrist but also actually seeing patients and charging them big money, the Maniac points out that all psychiatrists charge too much. The inspector replies that the specific charges are not the real issue. After getting fed up with the maniac and his crazy antics Bertozzo orders the maniac to leave and exits himself with the constable. Maniac re-enters and finds himself in Bertozzo's office again. As he realizes he's alone he begins to go through his criminal record and stumbles upon the criminal records of the big and small criminals. He goes through the files of the small criminals and then throws the files out the window showing that he may be a bit of an activist himself. The maniac is interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. He picks it up, pretends to be Bertozzo's assistant, and speaks with an inspector from an office upstairs, who turns out to be Pissani. Pissani tells him a judge is being sent from Rome to look into the accidental death of an anarchist who fell from a window in the office of the superintendent. The maniac puts the phone down after pretending that Bertozzo is making fun of Pissani. He is overjoyed that he'll finally be able to disguise as a judge now and tries on different disguises in the room where he puts on Bertozzo's jacket and hat on. Bertozzo walks in and is shocked to see the maniac again and orders that he be thrown out.
Act 1 Scene 2
This scene begins with the Maniac, in character as the judge from Rome, issuing orders to Pissani and mocking him for having just struck Bertozzo. He tells Pissani to fetch the superintendent and tell him to come immediately. Pissani tells the constabel to go and get the Superintendent , and the Maniac busies himself putting the papers he obtained from Bertozzo's desk relating to the death of the Anarchist . The superintendent returns, angry at being ordered about by Pisani and also angry with him for hitting Bertozzo, who has been in the superintendent's office complaining. When Pissani tells him the judge (the Maniac) is there to begin the inquiry, the superintendent becomes much more polite and submissive. The Maniac presents the facts of what happened the night of the Anarchist's death , quoting from the superintendent's report that claims the Anarchist suffered a raptus. The maniac asks them to go over the transcript enacting everything that happened the night the anarchist was interrogated. After enacting the the interrogation, the maniac cleverly points out that the superintendent and Pissani are to blamed for the anarchist's death and so they should take full responsibility. Both inspectors realize they'll be trouble so they claim to have made a second transcript where it states that the anarchist was happy and calm before he committed suicide. The maniac confuses them again saying why did he commit suicide then. The inspectors realise all the blame will be put on them and so they request the judge to come up with a third transcript that would save them. They begin to write the third transcript where it states that both the inspectors were very co-operative with the anarchist and made him feel comfortable and even sang a song for him. The inspectors heistate into admitting that but the maniac says they have no other choice as they'll already in massive amounts of trouble. The scene ends with them singing an anarchy song that will go down in the third transcript.
Act 1 Scene 1
Purpose of stage directions-
Stage directions are placed in a play to organise and follow an actor's movements. Stage directions cover the physical aspect of the scene and illustrate where everything should be placed and in what manner in order to make the scene come alive and provide details about how the playwright has imagined the environment and atmosphere. Another crucial purpose of stage directions is that they dictate the rhythm and tempo of the scene so that the flow of it all seems very natural.
Accidental Death of an Anarchist opens in a room in a police station, where Inspector Bertozzo is interviewing the Maniac, reviewing his arrest record. He notes that the Maniac has been arrested many times for impersonation, the same reason for his arrest this time. The Maniac points out that although he has been arrested, he has never been convicted of a crime. He tells the inspector that he is insane, that he cannot be charged because he is mad. The inspector, incredulous, continues posing questions to the Maniac. The Maniac evades the inspector's questions and denies any real wrongdoing. For example, in response to the inspector's accusation that the Maniac has not only been impersonating a psychiatrist but also actually seeing patients and charging them big money, the Maniac points out that all psychiatrists charge too much. The inspector replies that the specific charges are not the real issue. After getting fed up with the maniac and his crazy antics Bertozzo orders the maniac to leave and exits himself with the constable. Maniac re-enters and finds himself in Bertozzo's office again. As he realizes he's alone he begins to go through his criminal record and stumbles upon the criminal records of the big and small criminals. He goes through the files of the small criminals and then throws the files out the window showing that he may be a bit of an activist himself. The maniac is interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. He picks it up, pretends to be Bertozzo's assistant, and speaks with an inspector from an office upstairs, who turns out to be Pissani. Pissani tells him a judge is being sent from Rome to look into the accidental death of an anarchist who fell from a window in the office of the superintendent. The maniac puts the phone down after pretending that Bertozzo is making fun of Pissani. He is overjoyed that he'll finally be able to disguise as a judge now and tries on different disguises in the room where he puts on Bertozzo's jacket and hat on. Bertozzo walks in and is shocked to see the maniac again and orders that he be thrown out.
Act 1 Scene 2
This scene begins with the Maniac, in character as the judge from Rome, issuing orders to Pissani and mocking him for having just struck Bertozzo. He tells Pissani to fetch the superintendent and tell him to come immediately. Pissani tells the constabel to go and get the Superintendent , and the Maniac busies himself putting the papers he obtained from Bertozzo's desk relating to the death of the Anarchist . The superintendent returns, angry at being ordered about by Pisani and also angry with him for hitting Bertozzo, who has been in the superintendent's office complaining. When Pissani tells him the judge (the Maniac) is there to begin the inquiry, the superintendent becomes much more polite and submissive. The Maniac presents the facts of what happened the night of the Anarchist's death , quoting from the superintendent's report that claims the Anarchist suffered a raptus. The maniac asks them to go over the transcript enacting everything that happened the night the anarchist was interrogated. After enacting the the interrogation, the maniac cleverly points out that the superintendent and Pissani are to blamed for the anarchist's death and so they should take full responsibility. Both inspectors realize they'll be trouble so they claim to have made a second transcript where it states that the anarchist was happy and calm before he committed suicide. The maniac confuses them again saying why did he commit suicide then. The inspectors realise all the blame will be put on them and so they request the judge to come up with a third transcript that would save them. They begin to write the third transcript where it states that both the inspectors were very co-operative with the anarchist and made him feel comfortable and even sang a song for him. The inspectors heistate into admitting that but the maniac says they have no other choice as they'll already in massive amounts of trouble. The scene ends with them singing an anarchy song that will go down in the third transcript.
Act 2 Scene 1
This act begins at the moment when the previous act ended—with the Maniac, Pissani and the superintendent coming to the conclusion of their song. Pissani and the superintendent tell the maniac that the suspect (the anarchist) was 'serene' and the mood was very lighthearted. The maniac turns on them saying that if everyone was joking around and having a laugh then how was it an interrogation for an alleged mass murderer. The maniac then tells them to get serious and asks the three inspectors how the anarchist actually jumped. The maniac questions that someone must've helped the anarchist because you need a bit of a lift to get on the window. Pissani says that it happened very quickly and the constable then suggests that he grabbed the anarchist's show to save him. All of them are suddenly relieved that they found a loophole but the anarchist goes back to the evidence saying that a witness had stated that the anarchist had both shoes on beofre he became 'jam sponge'. Pissani goes on a ridiculous rant that the anarchist has two shoes on foot or that he could've been wearing a 'galosh'. The superintendent gets annoyed at pissani and drags him out of the room. Both the inspectors start blaming each other for the anarchist's death and that both were just as involved. They suddenly realise the maniac was listening all this time but the maniac pretends as if he heard nothing. They are interrupted by a phone call and find out that its a journalist who wishes to find out about the anarchist's death. They tell the maniac to disguise as someone else because they will be in a lot more trouble if the journalist were to find out the judge (the maniac) is here with them. The maniac tells them not to worry and that he will disguise as one of the witnesses and just stand to the side.
This act begins at the moment when the previous act ended—with the Maniac, Pissani and the superintendent coming to the conclusion of their song. Pissani and the superintendent tell the maniac that the suspect (the anarchist) was 'serene' and the mood was very lighthearted. The maniac turns on them saying that if everyone was joking around and having a laugh then how was it an interrogation for an alleged mass murderer. The maniac then tells them to get serious and asks the three inspectors how the anarchist actually jumped. The maniac questions that someone must've helped the anarchist because you need a bit of a lift to get on the window. Pissani says that it happened very quickly and the constable then suggests that he grabbed the anarchist's show to save him. All of them are suddenly relieved that they found a loophole but the anarchist goes back to the evidence saying that a witness had stated that the anarchist had both shoes on beofre he became 'jam sponge'. Pissani goes on a ridiculous rant that the anarchist has two shoes on foot or that he could've been wearing a 'galosh'. The superintendent gets annoyed at pissani and drags him out of the room. Both the inspectors start blaming each other for the anarchist's death and that both were just as involved. They suddenly realise the maniac was listening all this time but the maniac pretends as if he heard nothing. They are interrupted by a phone call and find out that its a journalist who wishes to find out about the anarchist's death. They tell the maniac to disguise as someone else because they will be in a lot more trouble if the journalist were to find out the judge (the maniac) is here with them. The maniac tells them not to worry and that he will disguise as one of the witnesses and just stand to the side.
Act 2 Scene 1 (continued)
The constable enters with the journalist- Maria Feletti and she is introduced to both Pissani and Superintendent. The Maniac, for his part, has disguised himself with a false moustache a patch over his eye (which he says conceals a glass eye), and a glove (which he says conceals a wooden hand). The journalist hurries along with her questions, saying her article has to be ready in time for the late edition of her paper. She first asks the superintendent why he's been nicknamed "The Window Straddler" by other anarchists who have been interrogated by him and who say he makes them sit on the window ledge with their legs hanging out while bullying them into considering suicide. She also presents evidence that the dead Anarchist was dropped out the window and didn't jump, and that a phone call for an ambulance was made several minutes before the Anarchist's death. She further adds that the anarchist has bruises on his neck which means he was being strangled. The maniac explains to the journalist that an officer got out of control and in order to save the anarchist an ambulance was called earlier and whilst two officers were helping the anarchist to breathe he slipped out of the window. During this a ruckus is caused with the maniac's fake glass eye falling out and everyone in search of it. Bertozzo then comes in through the door and is greeted by the superintendent, explaining that he's bringing in a copy of the bomb that exploded at the bank in Milan (in the plot allegedly perpetrated by the Anarchist, the dancer, and their colleagues). Bertozzo imagines that he finds the Maniac (still in his disguise) familiar, and protests when he (the Maniac) is introduced as the forensics expert from Rome, saying he knows the real expert. The superintendent and Pissani insistently and physically attempt to persuade him to go along with the charade, reminding him if the truth gets out of what happened to the Anarchist all their jobs will be lost.
Meanwhile, the journalist attempts to get Bertozzo to answer the question of why another undetonated bomb, also found in the debris of the robbed bank, was taken away and detonated somewhere else rather than preserved for analysis. Bertozzo tries to explain, but is held back by the maniac. The maniac takes control and tells Feletti that these sort of bombs are highly complex and it is better to get rid of such things rather than creating a bigger problem and adding to the chaos. Feletti produces documentation recounting the fact that out of several recent bombings, many have been found been linked to the government that arranged for the bombings in order to discredit anti-government (anarchist) factions. The Maniac accuses her of being blatantly provocative and as Bertozzo is struggling to convince the Superintendent of the Maniac's true identity, the Maniac comments that the journalist seems to be seeking a scandal for its own sake. The journalist agrees with him , but the Maniac comments that the only reason the public wants scandal at all is to help them forget about how miserable life is otherwise . Bertozzo breaks free of the superintendent and Sports Jacket, runs to the Maniac and struggles to pull off his wooden leg. The superintendent and Pissani attempt to restrain him as the Maniac is explaining to Feletti that she will not achieve anything out of exposing the truth. At the side Bertozzo is being chased out by Superintendent and Pissani. Bertozzo gets annoyed and pulls out his gun threatning the officers. He asks Feletti to handcuff the policemen to reveal the maniac's true identity. The maniac then shifts from Dario Fo to the real political problems in the world and how class will always remain higher than one's ideology's. The actors mess about for a but criticising the author and then get back to the original script. The maniac pulls out a recorder where Pissani and superintendent are heard admitting that they pushed the anarchist. The maniac then pulls out the bomb and threatens to blow it up, he tells Bertozzo to also handcuff himself. He tells Feletti that the officers are the cause of destruction in society as they are allowed to torture and torment people all in the name of justice and democracy. He chucks the keys to the handcuffs at Feletti and tells her that now she has the choice to choose between saving the officers or becoming just like him and leaving them to die.
The play ends with two endings- The first ending is that Feletti looks to the officers, is confused and then runs through the door and saves herself, leaving the officer's behind. The building explodes (happy ending according to the maniac)
The alternate ending is that she opens the handcuffs and lets the officers free and the officers realise she knows everything so they instead handcuff her to the window. The building explodes.
The constable enters with the journalist- Maria Feletti and she is introduced to both Pissani and Superintendent. The Maniac, for his part, has disguised himself with a false moustache a patch over his eye (which he says conceals a glass eye), and a glove (which he says conceals a wooden hand). The journalist hurries along with her questions, saying her article has to be ready in time for the late edition of her paper. She first asks the superintendent why he's been nicknamed "The Window Straddler" by other anarchists who have been interrogated by him and who say he makes them sit on the window ledge with their legs hanging out while bullying them into considering suicide. She also presents evidence that the dead Anarchist was dropped out the window and didn't jump, and that a phone call for an ambulance was made several minutes before the Anarchist's death. She further adds that the anarchist has bruises on his neck which means he was being strangled. The maniac explains to the journalist that an officer got out of control and in order to save the anarchist an ambulance was called earlier and whilst two officers were helping the anarchist to breathe he slipped out of the window. During this a ruckus is caused with the maniac's fake glass eye falling out and everyone in search of it. Bertozzo then comes in through the door and is greeted by the superintendent, explaining that he's bringing in a copy of the bomb that exploded at the bank in Milan (in the plot allegedly perpetrated by the Anarchist, the dancer, and their colleagues). Bertozzo imagines that he finds the Maniac (still in his disguise) familiar, and protests when he (the Maniac) is introduced as the forensics expert from Rome, saying he knows the real expert. The superintendent and Pissani insistently and physically attempt to persuade him to go along with the charade, reminding him if the truth gets out of what happened to the Anarchist all their jobs will be lost.
Meanwhile, the journalist attempts to get Bertozzo to answer the question of why another undetonated bomb, also found in the debris of the robbed bank, was taken away and detonated somewhere else rather than preserved for analysis. Bertozzo tries to explain, but is held back by the maniac. The maniac takes control and tells Feletti that these sort of bombs are highly complex and it is better to get rid of such things rather than creating a bigger problem and adding to the chaos. Feletti produces documentation recounting the fact that out of several recent bombings, many have been found been linked to the government that arranged for the bombings in order to discredit anti-government (anarchist) factions. The Maniac accuses her of being blatantly provocative and as Bertozzo is struggling to convince the Superintendent of the Maniac's true identity, the Maniac comments that the journalist seems to be seeking a scandal for its own sake. The journalist agrees with him , but the Maniac comments that the only reason the public wants scandal at all is to help them forget about how miserable life is otherwise . Bertozzo breaks free of the superintendent and Sports Jacket, runs to the Maniac and struggles to pull off his wooden leg. The superintendent and Pissani attempt to restrain him as the Maniac is explaining to Feletti that she will not achieve anything out of exposing the truth. At the side Bertozzo is being chased out by Superintendent and Pissani. Bertozzo gets annoyed and pulls out his gun threatning the officers. He asks Feletti to handcuff the policemen to reveal the maniac's true identity. The maniac then shifts from Dario Fo to the real political problems in the world and how class will always remain higher than one's ideology's. The actors mess about for a but criticising the author and then get back to the original script. The maniac pulls out a recorder where Pissani and superintendent are heard admitting that they pushed the anarchist. The maniac then pulls out the bomb and threatens to blow it up, he tells Bertozzo to also handcuff himself. He tells Feletti that the officers are the cause of destruction in society as they are allowed to torture and torment people all in the name of justice and democracy. He chucks the keys to the handcuffs at Feletti and tells her that now she has the choice to choose between saving the officers or becoming just like him and leaving them to die.
The play ends with two endings- The first ending is that Feletti looks to the officers, is confused and then runs through the door and saves herself, leaving the officer's behind. The building explodes (happy ending according to the maniac)
The alternate ending is that she opens the handcuffs and lets the officers free and the officers realise she knows everything so they instead handcuff her to the window. The building explodes.
The Farce of Dario Fo
Dario Fo’s accidental death of an anarchist depicts the attitudes of the police, society and the general law system present at the time in Milan. Fo writes about the real events that took place in a political framework using satire to illustrate the ridiculous attitudes of policemen and bring forth the seriousness of an anarchist’s ‘accidental’ death, and by using witty and ridiculous comedy to disguise the serious, hard-hitting message in the guise of farce. The major themes touched upon in this play are slightly controversial and consist of politics, law, revolution and death. The themes present in the play hint at a controversial and hard-hitting message Dario Fo wishes to convey to the audience. The reason it being so controversial could be that Fo has taken the grave issue of death and turned it into a laughing matter through the elements of farce. Although his intended purpose remains the same with him trying to deliver a much more cogent message to his audience, which being the police were hardly affected by the fact that someone had committed suicide within their headquarters after being interrogated.
In the play, Fo uses the Maniac to voice his own thoughts perhaps about the entire system in Italy. The Maniac is the only character in the play that the audience feels is actually talking sense even though he is called ‘the maniac’, suggesting he is insane. Fo makes it certain that the maniac proves to the audience time and again that he is infact an insane person. Fo even makes the maniac say that he is a lunatic, ‘but I am a lunatic’. Fo does this intentionally to suggest that even an insane person knows well enough that a person’s death in not a joke. Fo uses the maniac to prove to the audience that the police have no respect or sympathy for a dead man and refuse to take the blame because they are looked upon as authority figures, another reason for the play to be controversial. The maniac is used as an element of farce for Fo because he intertwines the maniac’s silly antics and his witty personality to ridicule the seriousness behind the death of the anarchist.
Dario Fo’s accidental death of an anarchist depicts the attitudes of the police, society and the general law system present at the time in Milan. Fo writes about the real events that took place in a political framework using satire to illustrate the ridiculous attitudes of policemen and bring forth the seriousness of an anarchist’s ‘accidental’ death, and by using witty and ridiculous comedy to disguise the serious, hard-hitting message in the guise of farce. The major themes touched upon in this play are slightly controversial and consist of politics, law, revolution and death. The themes present in the play hint at a controversial and hard-hitting message Dario Fo wishes to convey to the audience. The reason it being so controversial could be that Fo has taken the grave issue of death and turned it into a laughing matter through the elements of farce. Although his intended purpose remains the same with him trying to deliver a much more cogent message to his audience, which being the police were hardly affected by the fact that someone had committed suicide within their headquarters after being interrogated.
In the play, Fo uses the Maniac to voice his own thoughts perhaps about the entire system in Italy. The Maniac is the only character in the play that the audience feels is actually talking sense even though he is called ‘the maniac’, suggesting he is insane. Fo makes it certain that the maniac proves to the audience time and again that he is infact an insane person. Fo even makes the maniac say that he is a lunatic, ‘but I am a lunatic’. Fo does this intentionally to suggest that even an insane person knows well enough that a person’s death in not a joke. Fo uses the maniac to prove to the audience that the police have no respect or sympathy for a dead man and refuse to take the blame because they are looked upon as authority figures, another reason for the play to be controversial. The maniac is used as an element of farce for Fo because he intertwines the maniac’s silly antics and his witty personality to ridicule the seriousness behind the death of the anarchist.
Different version of Accidental Death of an Anarchist
This version of the accidental death of an anarchist was produced and performed by My Fair Heathen production. Their performance of the play was a stage production and the way it was filmed and presented proved how the level at which it was produced. This group is not a very well-known and well established group hence their budget and production value may have remained low. Although this version was different it followed the original play thoroughly and the use of stage directions provided by Fo. The way this version was presented however makes it different and less likeable compared to the version by Gavin Richards.
This version of the accidental death of an anarchist was produced and performed by My Fair Heathen production. Their performance of the play was a stage production and the way it was filmed and presented proved how the level at which it was produced. This group is not a very well-known and well established group hence their budget and production value may have remained low. Although this version was different it followed the original play thoroughly and the use of stage directions provided by Fo. The way this version was presented however makes it different and less likeable compared to the version by Gavin Richards.
Comparing the two