Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo

Accidental Death of an Anarchist was first performed in 1970 in Italy and has been performed in 41 countries worldwide. Although recently reviewed as ‘riotous’ and ‘dazzlingly funny’, the play was based on a real-life tragedy. In 1969 Giuseppe Pinelli, an Italian railway worker died in police custody whilst being held on suspicion of being involved in a bombing. The police claimed that Pinelli committed suicide, throwing himself from the fourth floor in an act of guilt of his crime, although Fo and the public were dubious about this version of events. Accidental Death highlights the inconsistencies in the police's recollection of what happened; it is a political commentary on their spurious interrogation techniques. Through farce, Fo satirises the insidious nature of corruption.