Dario Fo won the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature and wrote the play Accidental Death of an Anarchist.
Fo was an Italian playwright, actor, comedian, and political satirist. The Swedish Academy praised his ability to imitate medieval jesters while scourging authority and defending the dignity of the oppressed. His theatre often combines farce, improvisation, physical comedy, and sharp political criticism.
Accidental Death of an Anarchist, first performed in 1970, was inspired by a real political controversy surrounding the death of railway worker Giuseppe Pinelli in police custody. Fo’s plays frequently respond to current events and use laughter as a form of social examination.
He worked closely with actress Franca Rame, his wife and creative collaborator. Fo is sometimes mistaken for a conventional literary dramatist, but his distinctive achievement came from bringing popular performance traditions and political satire together.