Theatre Royal Haymarket – until 9th September 2023
Reviewed by Ben Jolly
4****
Flying into the Theatre Royal Haymarket this explosive new production of Dario Fo’s classic play fires on all cylinders.
Adapted by Tom Basden, Accidental Death of an Anarchist was first seen in Sheffield and after a sell-out run at the Lyric Hammersmith has transferred to London’s West End. Fo’s original play, billed as a “political farce” is based on the untimely death of Giuseppe Pinelli who died while in police custody for questioning over the 1969 Piazza Fontana bombing. The play made its debut in 1970 and it is a chilling thought to consider that despite over half a century having passed, the issues and themes the play brings up are even more relevant today.
Moments of manic intensity radiate off the stage right from the get-go as we are introduced to our ally and emcee for the evening, The Maniac – the conductor of chaos who ensures that we are entertained and provoked throughout. The Maniac is being questioned by Inspector Burton, where, seizing a brief moment of opportunity, he conjures a plan to escape to the infamous fourth floor of the police station, where the recent death of an anarchist took place. It is here when the farcical elements really take stride as The Maniac begins to unravel the tangled web of lies that have been reported on the moments leading to the death.
Daniel Rigby leads the pack with his commanding performance of The Maniac, a tour de force with heightened energy that is unparalleled to anything we’ve witnessed onstage in a longtime. His range, vocal and physical elasticity while holding the captive audience in the palm of his hand is a wonder to behold. There are, however, times when it is almost too much to handle and I think that the phrase “once is funny, twice is enough” should have been considered by Daniel Raggett who helmed the direction of this production.
This production has many other strong core elements holding it together, a timely and relevant script that comes to life throughout, a fantastic supporting cast with Tony Gardner, Tom Andrews and Mark Hadfield delivering just the right amount of absurdness to compliment The Maniac’s tomfoolery, and a superb set designed by Anna Reid who has created a canvas that enables the chaos to take place within these walls.
The play fully succeeds in what it sets out to accomplish; it entertains with humour and through this, provokes uncomfortable feelings with the message of the rising stats in state related deaths while in police care. It is hilarious, loud, chaotic and messy, – a recipe for a beautiful disaster.