‘We know all too well that we’re up to our necks in the shit, and it is for this very reason that we walk with our heads held high!’
An irrepressible fraudster known only as the Maniac is brought into Police Headquarters just as the officers are preparing for a judicial review of the recent ‘accidental’ death of a suspect in custody.
Outwitting his captors, the Maniac dupes them into performing a farcical recreation of the incident, exposing the absurd corruption and terrifying idiocy at the heart of the system.
Dario Fo and Franca Rame’s riotous satire, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, has been widely performed around the world since its premiere in 1970. Tom Basden’s hilarious, bang-up-to-date adaptation was first performed at Sheffield Theatres in 2022.
‘A glorious comedy that leaps off the stage’
— The Times
‘A riotous satirical farce brought bang up to date… Tom Basden’s full-blooded adaptation [is] a furious but funny broadside against police malpractice… supremely, dazzlingly funny’
— Guardian
‘Absolutely hilarious… an outstanding piece of theatre, packed full of laughs whilst still having some serious and topical messages’
— Reviews Hub
‘Brilliant… a whirlwind high-speed farce… Tom Basden’s bang up-to-date English version would undoubtedly have met with Signor Fo’s whole-hearted approval… wildly inventive… glorious chaos’
— WhatsOnStage
‘Pretty special… Basden’s script is packed with contemporary references, but among the comic zingers are weightier concerns about undercover police work and corruption…. It’s brilliantly executed… unforgettable’
— The Stage
