Accidental Death of an Anarchist (1984)
by Dario Fo
Directed by Malcolm Saunders
Sun 7th & Tues 9th - Sat 13th October 1984, Bell Theatre
Contents
Introduction
The action of the play takes place in a Milan police station.
Cast
- Maniac - Malcolm Archer
- Bertozzo - Jeremy Ward
- Pissanni - Matthew Lyne
- Constable - James Lyne
- Superintendant - Paul Valleau
- Felletti - Meryl Jones
Crew
- Stage Manager - Julie Howcutt
- Assistant Stage Managers - John Kidd & Sue Shields
- Lighting - Brian Fretwell
- Sound Recording - Brian Fretwell
- Sound Operator - Bob Marshall
- Set Desigh - Sharon Haywood
- Set Builders - Don North, Richard Lilley, Tony Wright, Mark Diamo & Pat Shaw
- Wardrobe - Frances Walker
- Properties - Christine Page
- Production Assistant - Sharon Phipp
Reviews
(The play) by Dario Fo, might be described as a farcical political satire with a dash of Keystone Cops thrown in.
At least that is how it looks in an unaccredited translation at S.L.T.C., as directed by Malcolm Saunders. Played to the original Italian, it might look very different.
It concerns the aftermath of the suspicious death of an anarchist, bey defenestration in a Milan police station: a somewhat South African style of exit under interrogation.
But the Milan setting and the Italian names need not fool us. As Inspector Betozz, Jeremy Ward makes his speaking piece pure Monty Python, and that team are never far away from the action theatre.
This action has its very funny moments, but gets less funny in proportion as it becomes more frenzied. The wild knockabout of the second act I found counter-productive, and the revolutionary point smade towards the end by the Maniac sat uneasily on the structure of the play as a whole.
Maniac? Well, yes, that's the name of the character played my Malcolm Archer. And very inventively he plays him, a screwball impersonator whose outward lunacy puts spoke after spoke in the wheel of a corrupt, venal system.
Meryl Jones plays the lady reported, supplying a cold note of realism to the general chaos. The remainder of the cast are all policemen - of a sort. James Lyne is the constable, Matthew Lyne the frenetic Inspector Pissani and Paul Valleau the sinister Superintendent, who sometimes brings a genuine chill to the proceedings.
I think this production would succeed better if the players slowed it down a bit.
Donald Madgwick, The Advertiser
Gallery
Reminiscences and Anecdotes
Members are encouraged to write about their experiences of working on or seeing this production. Please leave your name. Anonymous entries may be deleted.
See Also
- Trumpets And Raspberries (1990) (Bell Theatre)
- Elizabeth - Almost by Chance a Woman (2006) (Bell Theatre)
- Accidental Death of an Anarchist (2009) (Prompt Corner)
References
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