Review: Accidental Death of an Anarchist at Liverpool Playhouse

Nov 6 2008 Chester Chronicle

ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF AN ANARCHIST/Liverpool Playhouse, until November 8

REVIEW/by Peggy Woodcock

RACY, pacy, farcical, funny and remarkably topical for a play written over 40 years ago.

That was Northern Broadsides production of Accidental Death of an Anarchist at the Liverpool Playhouse on Tuesday. It’s a slice of satire that I can heartily recommend as an antidote to the current doom and gloom. You will laugh out loud and especially enjoy the fact that the targets include Ross, Brown and big banks.

Dario Fo’s play was written as an expose of police corruption and in response to contemporary events in his own country. Deborah McAndrew, in translating it, has moved it to a northern town in the UK and aimed his sharp wit at current concerns.

It works well and the fact that the leading protagonists still have Italian names just goes into the comic mix!

The scene was a police station where an unusual con artist was in custody. He managed to get himself involved in an internal enquiry into the death of a previous prisoner, the anarchist of the title who fell from the station window. Or did he jump? Or was he pushed?

Caught up in the action were the local plod, a dodgy set of characters just asking to be conned. What followed was farce and fantasy, fast and furious, with Monty Python and Fawlty Towers moments.

In other words, anarchy. It was funny. It made you laugh but then think, oh, I shouldn’t. That’s really a bad thing. In other words, good satire.

Conrad Nelson’s production responded well to the text. It was a tad too long, labouring some moments unnecessarily, but it added physical theatre to the words with exciting results. The movement was beautifully choreographed and well done to the cast for superb timing.

Michael Hugo was splendid as the con man, playing as a genius just this side of madness. His speed of delivery was fluent, his physical antics slick, and somehow he managed to combine both with crazy costumes with great success.

This was very much an ensemble piece, though, and Hugo was backed by strong cast of coppers!

Anthony Hunt was a manic Basil Fawlty figure as the sharp-suited Bertozzo while Matt Connor had Mr Been moments as constables one and two. Neil Caple was a steady anchorman as the DCI while Craig Rogan, seriously stupid and funny, stole many of the scenes.

Ruth Alexander-Rubin as the only woman more than held her own as the tough journalist Maria Feletti.

For booking details for Liverpool, ring 0151 709 4776. The production moves on to the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme from November 11-15. Visit www.newvictheatre.org.uk or ring 01782 717962.