The Works of Dario Fo and Anton Chekhov Come to the Playground Theatre
Performances run 20 - 30 November 2024.
A riotous comedy double bill arrives in London, blending Chekhov’s piquant mix of laughter and absurdity with Dario Fo’s unique, slapstick satire of Milanese life.
Anton Chekhov, originally celebrated as a writer of short comic plays on themes of love, marriage, and domestic chaos delights audiences with three of his finest, funniest vaudevilles: The Bear, Swansong, and The Evils of Tobacco. These beloved works set the stage for a brilliant contrast with Fo’s One Was Nude & One Wore Tails, a zany, nocturnal farce featuring road sweepers, naked ambassadors, and a sharp critique of social hierarchy — a scenario described as Waiting for Godot meets Laurel & Hardy.
Dario Fo famously asserted that laughter is the best tool against injustice and oppression, creating a “bubble of wind in the gut” that provokes change rather than mere catharsis. “Comedy,” he said, “makes the subversion of the existing state of affairs possible. Laughter does not please the mighty…” His biting satire, combined with Chekhov’s humour, offers a unique evening of laughs with a purpose.
Multi-award-winning playwright & director Justin Butcher, whose notable works include The Madness of George Dubya, Scaramouche Jones (starring Pete Postlethwaite), and The Devil’s Passion(starring David Suchet), brings this double bill to life. Known for his anti-war satires and powerful stage creations, Butcher cites Dario Fo as a lifelong influence.
“I vividly remember my first encounter with Fo's work, watching a student production of Accidental Death of an Anarchist. There was a glorious moment when part of the set fell, and the actor quickly turned to the audience with a grin, ‘Sorry, ladies and gentlemen, our set appears to be falling down ...’ It was pure Fo — that glorious incongruity between how things are meant to be and how they turn out — the very engine of all comedy.”
For Butcher, this double bill is a celebration of humanity’s inevitable stumbles: “Humanity aspires to touch the heavens … and then slips on a banana peel.” Or, as the Japanese proverb goes, “The higher the monkey climbs, the more you can see of its backside.”
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