Accidental Death of an Anarchist

Accidental Death of an Anarchist
Written by Dario Fo
Date premiered 5 December 1970
Original language Italian
Accidental Death of an Anarchist

Cover of the 2004 edition of
Morte accidentale di un anarchico
Author Dario Fo
Country Italy
Language Italian
Publisher Einaudi, Turin
Publication date
10 December 1970
Media type Print
Pages 89

Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Italian title: Morte accidentale di un anarchico) is the most internationally recognised play by Dario Fo, recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature. Considered a classic of twentieth-century theatre, it has been performed across the world in more than 40 countries, including Argentina, Chile, the United Kingdom, India, Romania, South Africa and South Korea.[1]

Background

The play is a farce based on the real-life events surrounding Italian railwayman and anarchist Giuseppe Pinelli, who fell – or was thrown – to his death from the fourth floor window of a Milan police station in 1969. Pinelli was accused of bombing a bank (the Piazza Fontana bombing) but was cleared of the charge.

Plot summary

The events of the play itself, however, are fictional. The play opens with Inspector Bertozzo interrogating The Maniac on the third floor of the police station. The Maniac constantly outsmarts the dim-witted Bertozzo and, when Bertozzo leaves the room, intercepts a phone call from Inspector Pissani. The phone call lets the Maniac know that a judge is due at the police station to investigate the interrogation and death of the anarchist. The Maniac decides to impersonate the judge, and successfully does so. He gets the police to re-enact the events, in the actual fourth floor room, and also involves a woman Journalist who is trying to probe the events. The play ends with two alternative endings, one with Feletti (the Journalist) leaving the four policemen to be bombed and in the second, Feletti uncuffs the men who in turn handcuff her to the window frame leaving her to die. The Maniac then leaves the audience to decide which ending they prefer.

Sequel

A sequel, Pum pum! Chi è? La polizia! (Knock Knock! Who's There? The Police!), followed, which the semiotician Umberto Eco commented favourably on in a weekly column in L'Espresso.[2]

Blanco death

An actor Mark Blanco, who was cast in the lead role for Accidental Death of an Anarchist at a London fringe theatre, died in unexplained circumstances himself in December 2006 shortly before the production was about to open. Blanco fell to the ground from a balcony in Whitechapel, East London. His family said: "We absolutely do not believe that Mark committed suicide, or that his death was a simple accident." They continue to press for information on Blanco's last hours at the party from those who were present, including society junkie Paul Roundhill and former Libertines singer Pete Doherty.[3]

List of major productions

A 2009 production of the play at The Doon School in India
Dave's House Theatre Co flyer for Accidental Death of an Anarchist 2007

Translations

Ed Emery translated an authorised English-language version.[16]

Further reading

See also

References

  1. Mitchell 1999, p. 101
  2. Mitchell 1999, pp. 121–122
  3. Barkham, Patrick (9 December 2006). "Family adamant 'Dario Fo death' was not accidental". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 December 2006.
  4. IMDB entry for 1983 broadcast
  5. Kazmi, Nikhat. "Dario Fo's adaptation operation three star". The Times of India. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  6. http://cscanada.net/index.php/css/article/view/328/pdf_167
  7. O'Grady, Jane. "Accidental Death of an Anarchist". Online Review London. Retrieved 2008-12-28.
  8. Review on DailyInfo
  9. Review on BBC website
  10. Dave's House Theatre Company
  11. Review on Dance and Theatre Cornwall
  12. "Nothing accidental about it". Pune Mirror. 16 May 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  13. "Accidental Death Of An Anarchist". Sydney Morning Herald. 16 September 2009. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
  14. Bechara Maara Gaya. 23 May 2009.
  15. "Bechara Maara Gaya A Political Parody". 13 January 2014.
  16. Fo, Dario. Accidental Death of an Anarchist, trans. Ed Emery, in Dario Fo: Plays One, Methuen Books, London, 1988.

External links