Protest is the recurring theme in Dario Fo’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist. Originated in his political stance to bring change within the society through revolution, protest is explored both through the content and through the structure of the play. At one level, protest is explored thematically through an absurd situation: a madman investigating ‘accidental death’ of an anarchist by questioning those officials who were involved in the interrogation. Whereas on the other hand, protest is structurally represented by employing multiple aspects of various theatrical traditions in the character of madman– as the protagonist who successfully convinces the audience to believe all that he exposes despite his repeated insistence that he is insane. …show more content…
This does qualify the play as protest since it shows the disagreement with the authorities that drives the character in the play and the playwright to investigate the real event. While at the next moment, the play is not a protest any more since subversion is already contained within the dominant ideology. Therefore, the use of alienation effect, theatricality of the play and Fo's position as a playwright licensing him to write subversive plays reminds the audience that this is not possible in the real world and is just the part of the theatre. In short, the absurdity and it's representation along with the specificity of context create a possibility for the play to be seen simply as a piece of art reflecting on protest more than as an act of protest in …show more content…
The play’s staging by Fo and Rame during their tours hds three acts in which the last act was reserved for discussions between performers and the audience. Its introduction was often modified or skipped in favour of the local scenario. Instead of its translations, it has been adapted to be contextualised regionally. Not only this, certain elements of Brechtian theatre are also incorporated within it- alienation and breaking of the fourth wall in these adaptations. So, the adaptations differ from each other even at the level of speech. The most fascinating of all elements is laughter. Laughter, a social act that defines the limits of a society is used in a subversive way. It is applied to the serious theme and this is a form of protest in itself as Fo himself had