The Jongleur

Fo described himself as a 'giullare' (jongleur or jester) of the modern era, being an essential figure for political satire.

Growing up in the small rural region of Sangiano in northwest Italy in the mid 1920s, Fo was rarely exposed to the dazzling sights and rapid technological advancements of the early 20th century; his predominant exposure to the theatre were from 'guillare' (travelling performers) who would mainly perform pieces of commedia dell'arte (characterised by stock characters and physical comedy [lazzi]). Other inspirations mainly include folk theatre, which is traditional storytelling, accompanied by music, singing and expressive language and movement. Both of these inspirations had a sole purpose of entertainment, often with a strong moral message tied to each play or story. This is what partly inspired Fo's strong political standpoint; he focussed on questioning authority and the current-day politics in Italy at the time he would write his plays. Targeting corruption, bureaucracy and the abuse of political power in the world, not just Italy, at the time. Through his spectacular, witty use of political satire, farce and grotesque humour, Fo exposed these 'political absurdities'. His intimate approach to interacting with audiences, is what characterised his theatre unlike anything seen before, hence looking at him as a practitioner, not just a playwright.

Franca Rame's Influence

Fo met his future wife, France Rame in 1950, when they began working together professionally, with Rame's experience in activism, acting and directing and Fo's theatre style attracting them to one other. In their collaboration, lots of the work they produced centred around feminist activism in Italy, as well as other sensitive subjects at the time in Italy, resulting in a lot of their work being banned and or censored.                          Both Rame and Fo acted in the plays they wrote together and that Fo wrote. Fo often played the character that was based on                          the Arlecchino, he was almost an Arlecchino himself!!

Key Techniques/ Characteristics:

• Improvisation and Spontaneity: In both the rehearsing process and the performance process, Fo encouraged his performers to deviate from directions and or script in reaction to an audience. Each performance should be unique, shaped both by the actors onstage and the audience watching.
• Expression: Fo's heavy inspirations from Commedia (as previously mentioned), were the catalyst to continually include expressive movement and physical theatre in his works. These exaggerated gestures and movements, aided in conveying character, emotion and comedy.
• Comedy: As mentioned on the ADA page, there are three types of comedy, Fo uses all three...

Superiority Theory: this theory in humour suggests that people laugh because they feel superior to others. According to this theory, humour comes from seeing someone else's mistakes, stupidity, or misfortune, which makes the audience feel smarter or more powerful by comparison. In plays like Accidental Death of an Anarchist, the audience laughs at the police officers because they are shown as incompetent and foolish, reinforcing a sense of superiority while also criticising those in authority.                                                                         Relief Theory: this theory in humour suggests that people laugh as a way to release built-up tension or stress. Laughter acts as a kind of emotional outlet, especially when dealing with serious, uncomfortable, or taboo topics. In Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Fo uses comedy to relieve the tension surrounding themes like death, corruption, and abuse of power, allowing the audience to laugh while still engaging with these serious issues.                                                                                                                                                                                                 Incongruity Theory: this theory in humour suggests that people laugh when there is a mismatch between what they expect and what actually happens. Humour comes from surprise, absurdity, or situations that don't fit normal logic. In Accidental Death of an Anarchist, humour is created through the contrast between how police officers are expected to behave (serious, competent, authoritative) and how they actually behave (chaotic, dishonest, and ridiculous).

• Direct Address: By directly addressing the audience, Fo was actively engaging the audience, often making their them engage and be active in their viewing a performance.