Accidental Death of An Anarchist - Crucible/Lyric/TRH

[joem]

A hysterically funny play bearing the name of a play by Dario Fo, and crediting him as the writer, which only uses the skeleton of Fo's original - a maniac who may be a terrorist taking the dumb police for a vertiginous ride through a series of audacious impersonations - on which to hang a volley of criticisms at their UK counterparts (with the odd pop at Trump of course). It all makes for wonderful theatre but its relationship to the original play is, as I said, only in structure.

Daniel Rigby was superb as the Maniac. He started off at 100 mph and never slowed down. A couple of his impersonations were a bit Eric Morecambeish, but there's nothing wrong with that.

Audience loved it. Great to see a full house for a matinee, and I understand extra performances have had to be put on. I just wish Tom Basden would have written a play which didn't need the kudos of Fo's original to market. The writing was good enough, just have the confidence in it!

[TallPaul]

This was actually in the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, which is the new name for the Crucible Studio. Although I'm normally a stickler for detail, I'm not going to change the thread title, which is a rather nice nod to the past.

Perhaps it's his choice, but Daniel Rigby should, I think, be much better known.  Along with Eric Morecambe, he also does a good David Frost, despite being a little too short.

[TallPaul]

Actually a co-production with the Lyric, Hammersmith, where it will be running from 13 March to 8 April 2023.

Playful Productions is also involved.

[barelyathletic]

Anyone planning to catch this classic farce at the Lyric Hammersmith from next week? I'm there at the end of the month. It was the first play I ever booked for myself as a 17-year-old student in London in 1981 (at Wyndhams with Gavin Richards as the maniac) so very much looking forward to it. The reviews for Tom Basden's adaptation/translation seem to be unanimously great in Sheffield, and Daniel Rigby (so funny in One Man, Two Guvnors) is supposed to be fantastic. Looking forward to it.

[alessia]

Yes I am booked to see this next Month! Also v much looking forward to it

[MrBunbury]

I saw it last night. I think it is really good. I admit it was a bit strange for me, as an Italian, to see the play in English and set in an English context (because in my mind is strongly linked to the real 'accidental' death of the anarchist Giuseppe Pinelli in a police station in Milan in 1969), because some Italian parts have been kept. Nevertheless, the adaptation has updated the play to include many references to current events. Some shocking real statistics are shown at the end of the play so there is also an advocacy element.

[Steve]

Saw today's matinee, and this is brilliant, and brilliantly funny. It's also incredibly topical, and Daniel Rigby gives a legendary comic performance!

Some spoilers follow. . .

Daniel Rigby was one of the funniest characters in "One Man Two Guvnors," playing a particularly histrionic actor, and he could be playing the same character here, just less insecure lol.

Cos this is one of the most unrestrained balls out comic performances I've ever seen, and it never misses the mark, nailing every laugh, from the fourth wall breaking Brechtian asides to the audience, through mimicry, physical slapstick, disguises, funny outfits, multiple characters and accents, oodles of attitude, and a comic song par excellence.

The comic song, "Bella Ciao," appropriated by anti-fascists, (best known to me as the sentimental brotherly anthem of the bank robbers in Netflix's "Money Heist" lol) and clearly used here to tweak the same noses Gary Lineker was tweaking (but with added raucousness and explosive comic energy) is so funny I couldn't stop laughing.

But this is but one fleeting moment in a play so topical that almost every target seems ripped from current headlines: it mostly savages police brutality and corruption, but also class, government cynicism (the demonisation of small boats), insider journalists, and complacent audiences.

If there is a criticism to be made, it's simply that the humanity skewered is so irredeemable that the show guts hope and is depressing at its core, though it is evidently a call to action.

Tom Basden has done a phenomenal job making this old Italian play current and funny, and every actor nails their comic traits, with Tony Gardner's Superintendent as slippery as a snake, Jordan Metcalfe's Detective Daisy all muscle no brains, Howard Ward's Inspector a British reincarnation of Herbert Lom hunting Clouseau, and Ruby Thomas's reporter as entitled as entitled can be.

But ultimately it's Rigby to see this for. He gives an exceptionally versatile and unforgettably unrestrained comic performance.

4 and a half stars from me for a satire that fires on all comic cylinders, with a mighty sting in it's tail!

[Rory]

Great review Steve. Daniel Rigby is a genius. I see this has commercial co-producers so it has the potential to transfer from the Lyric.

[clarefh]

I saw this on Saturday and would echo and agree with the reviews above.

Very, very funny but thought provoking ( as all good satire should be) and felt so relevant - were times early on when I felt a bit uncomfortable at the audience laughing at some of the points, but that then made it all the more effective when later on the points about complacency of the audience also hit home.

Hope it does get a west end transfer as would be thoroughly deserved.

[zahidf]

This was brilliant! Loved it to hits. Very funny and thought provoking.

[ArbitraryGibberish]

I really loved this. It’s incredibly funny, Daniel Rigby especially, but then after I came out of the theatre and started collecting my thoughts I realized it really gave a lot to think about. The set-up of Daniel Rigby’s character acting completely insane but seemingly having a complete grasp on everything is really interesting and manifests itself in many ways, one of my favorites being how his fourth wall breaks are acknowledged by the other characters. There’s the obvious “point” of the show with the whole police aspect, but it’s also interesting thinking about what it says about the world and how we see it.

None of that really matters though, it’s a great time, really funny. Would definitely recommend.

[tmesis]

I also loved this. If anything deserves a West End transfer this does, although how Daniel Rigby could keep up a long run is beyond me, Just one performance would utterly exhaust me. Fantastic version from Tom Basden - hilariously funny.

Go catch it in its final week.

[NeilVHughes]

Saw it last week, one of the best and definitely the funniest play of the year, not seen the Lyric so full for a long time

Slightly spoilt by a sniffling / coughing person next to me, as we now get back to normal and exchanges are not routinely available for those who would have stayed at home during COVID will just have to accept that getting a cold every now and again is the price of being in a public space.

[Forrest]

I thought this was really entertaining, although the contemporary references felt a bit more over the top than even the silliness at times.
But the acting was superb and time simply flew by, so couldn't fault it even if I wanted to. :)

(Considered taking my partner, who isn't a big theatre fan, but, alas, it has nearly sold out! What a win for the Lyric!)

[alessia]

I loved this! Probably more than my two friends who felt that there were a bit too many contemporary references (and neither is a big comedy person). But they also really enjoyed it and said that this was the only fault they could find. I was in stitches for most of it, it is so funny. Daniel Rigby is absolutely brilliant, his delivery is super fast and loud, I have no idea how he manages to keep that energy for the duration. He speaks so fast that I am sure I missed some of the jokes, as each single thing he says is funny- but despite this I was still laughing my head off pretty much all the way through. Highly recommended & I hope it's extended.
Tobias Menzies and Alistair Campbell were there last night (and Mark Shenton the blogger).

[jr]

And this is how you rework a classic. I read the script years ago, just remembered the basic story.

Fast-paced, funny, political, great acting and directing. My only but is that it was so fast that you missed some dialogue when people are laughing on top of the actors. I missed a few references but not being British, that's to be expected.

I didn't like much the audience clapping after some scenes but hey, since they broke the 4th wall a lot of times, I guess it is acceptable.

[Dave B]

Mark Shenton's newsletter today reports they are looking for a West End transfer but struggling to find an available venue.

[Boob]

Damn you, 2:22!!!

[Rory]

Apr 14, 2023 16:56:55 GMT Boob said:

Damn you, 2:22!!!

Exactly

[Jon]

I'm not sure why 2.22 is getting blamed just because the producers got the Apollo before Playful did, it's business.

[Rory]

Looks like a West End transfer is coming.

[Jon]

Apr 25, 2023 21:26:39 GMT Rory said:

Looks like a West End transfer is coming.

Where and When?

[Mark]

Apr 25, 2023 21:50:18 GMT Jon said:

Apr 25, 2023 21:26:39 GMT Rory said:

Looks like a West End transfer is coming.

Where and When?

Haymarket.
Soon

[alessia]

Great news - this play deserves to be seen by more people

[anxiousoctopus]

Potential announcement?