The Unexpected Death of an Anarchist

Dario Fo (1926-2016), Italian playwright, theater director, and actor. Winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature. He has created more than 50 plays and directed more than 80 plays. His works are rooted in the lives of the people at the bottom and current affairs, advocating improvisation and on-the-spot performance, "inheriting the spirit of medieval comedians, denouncing authority, and safeguarding the dignity of the oppressed." He is known as the "people's bard." Representative plays include "The Accidental Death of an Anarchist" and "No Payment!" Don't pay! ", "Comic Mystery Drama", etc. "The Accidental Death of an Anarchist" is the masterpiece of Italian playwright Dario Fo, winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize for Literature. In 1969, a bombing occurred at Milan train station. An anarchist was accused of being the murderer. During the interrogation, he suddenly jumped to his death. Dario Fo reacted quickly to the incident and wrote the play after careful investigation. A "madman" suffering from actor's syndrome accidentally came into contact with materials about the "accidental death" of anarchists at the police station. He adapted to the situation and disguised himself as a representative of the Supreme Court to review the case and finally gained insight into the inside story. The so-called "accidental death" turned out to be the police who tortured the anarchist to extract a confession, beat him to death and threw him out of the window, creating the illusion of committing suicide out of fear of crime. The play once caused a sensation in Italy. In two seasons, it was performed for 300 performances, with an audience of more than 300,000. Domestically, the play of the same name directed by Meng Jinghui aroused strong repercussions and subsequently became a domestic classic. "What is the real reason for the huge success of the show? At least, it comes from the hypocrisy and lies of the power agencies who confuse right and wrong and fabricate facts, especially from their wanton trampling of the national system. We are clearly aware that our desperate measures may be exposed, accused, and prosecuted. But no matter what, our actions are worth it. As Bertolt Brecht said: In dark times, we expose the darkness, and good times will come." - Dario Fo