Bezahlt wird nicht: Eine Farce

by Dario Fo

German

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Drama, Humor, Italian Literature, Italy, Fiction

94 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Dario Fo was an Italian satirist, playwright, theatre director, actor, and composer. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1997. In 2007 he was ranked Joint Seventh with Stephen Hawking in The Telegraph's list of 100 greatest living geniuses. His dramatic work employed comedic methods of the ancient Italian commedia dell'arte, a theatrical style popular with the proletarian classes. He owned and operated a theatre company with his wife, the leading actress Franca Rame. Dario Fo died in Milan on October 13th 2016, at the age of 90.

Reviews

[Bionic Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay!” is a saying which has passed into the English vernacular, and is often now used as a political slogan by pressure groups. It originated in the English translated title of a play from 1974, by the Italian playwright Dario Fo. His two plays Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! and an earlier play from 1970, “Accidental Death of an Anarchist”, are Dario Fo’s best-known plays internationally. They were both written in response to specific political needs. Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! is a Marxist political satire; focusing on the problems of economic crisis and job redundancies. Dario Fo turned this depressing scenario into a farcical comedy about the consumer backlash against high prices; a play so entertaining, despite its unlikely premise, that by 1990 it had been performed in 35 countries.

Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! is set in a “modest working class flat” in a working class suburb of Milan. The playwright details how in his play the political situation in 1974 translates into chaos in ordinary people's lives. It starts with the Italian prime minister Signor Rumor’s warning to the population that they will have to tighten their belts, because of the international money crisis. This results in a four hour general strike in protest at the government’s delay in dealing with inflation, unemployment and the energy crisis. By March the government has resigned, and a new government is formed without Republicans. However, there is continuing financial crisis, and now soaring inflation. The new government resigns after just 3 months. In the play, both the pace and the absurdity are cranked up a notch.

By late summer, there is a spaghetti war. Stocks of pasta vanish from the supermarket shelves, as prices of pasta, milk and sugar double, and meat prices also escalate. This is followed by the ludicrous image of Italy being hit by soggy spaghetti. Inferior flour has been used to cut production costs. The situation is worsened when only a fraction (one eighth) of the wheat which has been granted to Italy by their EEC partners is distributed. The remainder lies rotting in Sicilian warehouses, and is eventually sold as animal feed, at inflated prices.

This, then, is the preamble to the play’s fast and furious comedy. By the end of the year, the tension breaks after months of frustration. There is a spontaneous demonstration by a few housewives, as they decide to do something about it. They refuse to pay for their weekly shop. Some food is snatched, and for the rest, what is considered a fair sum is paid. They leaflet other women, calling on them to also take direct action against the inflationary supermarket prices, and pay the “just” sum rather than what is being charged.

Margherita leads a revolt at her local supermarket, and looting guts the building. Along with her friend Antonia, the two women try desperately to hide their “liberated” goods before their husbands and the police catch up with them. Crazy disasters pile on top of each other as the two women try to cope with the results of their own actions - without telling their husbands what they have been up to. As the police come knocking, Margherita and Antonia cook up an outrageous plan to hide their pillaged groceries. Hysterical (phantom) pregnancies, saints, and curses are all invented to stop the police fingering the culprits who raided the store, with predictably hilarious consequences. Coffins and undertakers are both included in the plot, as devices to dispose of the spoils before their spouses find out what their women have done. And if you’ve ever wondered how to survive on a diet of dog food and bird seed, this play will show you.

The play is clearly a political statement about the life and times of Italy in the 1970s. Dario Fo shows that the struggle to make ends meet, coupled with the loss of jobs, is the cost that working class carry in the fight against inflation. It is arguably also a feminist comedy, as it is written to show the viewpoint of the housewife, struggling to afford the ever rising prices in the shops. Its themes of unemployment, class division, and women’s role in society then continued to strike a relevant note through 1980s Britain. Continuing decades have also seen its relevance to their own problems, in various countries, with crooked politicians and bankers’ bonuses.

Dario Fo was born in San Giano, a small town on Lago Maggiore in Lombardy. He spent his childhood moving from one town to another, as his father’s postings were changed at the whim of the railway authorities. In 1940 he moved to Milan to study at the “Brera Art Academy”. After the war, he studied architecture, then turned his attention to stage design and theatre decor, and began to improvise monologues and satirical sketches to entertain his friends. As a result, he quickly became involved in political cabaret shows.



From the very beginning, the provocative political content and topical nature of his comedy made his work controversial, and led to trouble with the authorities. In 1953 he wrote and directed a satirical play, but after its initial success, both the government and the church authorities censored his work. He later gave up architecture in disgust at the level of corruption he found. He continued to write and produce plays in which he spoke out against state corruption and political scandal, and also openly criticised the church. From 1958 he and his wife, the actress Franca Rame, have collaborated in productions for one of the three theatre companies they have founded in Italy. In 1997 Dario Fo received the Nobel Prize for Literature.

The UK's first performance of Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! was in London in 1978. It was a success and was revived for London’s West End in 1981 where it ran for 2 years. “Time Out” reported, “Fo’s ingenious farce careers through an escalating progression of improbabilities and confusions until it concludes with a thorough and well-timed solution." (I saw that performance towards the end of its run.)

There have been various subsequent productions. Dario Fo continues to be one of the world's most frequently performed living playwrights. His dramatic work employs comedic methods of the ancient Italian “Commedia dell'arte”, which came out of Venice in the 1600s. It was a popular form of street theatre, based on sketches or improvised scenarios, between stock characters. These were based on universal types of masters, servants and lovers. This theatrical style was very popular with ordinary working class people.

I was alerted again to this play by a good Goodreads friend, herself Italian, and very familiar with the work of Dario Fo, an author local to her. She had been surprised to find Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! referred to in a novel she was reading, perhaps not having realised how widespread and admired Dario Fo's work is worldwide.

In one of the ironic twists life sometimes throws up, in the course of revisiting the play, I came across a production by a theatre local to me now. When was it, I wondered? Staggeringly, it is a current production! This makes me wonder why this particular play was selected at this particular moment. Of course the UK has an ongoing struggle of its own, with drastic cutbacks, and in a curious echo of the Italian prime minister back in 1974, there has been a demand from the current prime minister of the UK to ordinary people to “make sacrifices” and “tighten our belts”.

The best work of literature seem to convey a message which transcends the particular scenario of the play, novel or poem. They convey a universal observation or truth, one which can be tranposed to any individual's situation in any place, or a theory which can be applied across humanity. Dario Fo’s play appears initially to be about a microcosm; a specific culture in a small place, within a particular political system and within a specific economic climate at a particular point in time ... Yet it succeeds brilliantly at communicating much broader insights; ones which seem relevant to each new audience at the time they are watching. And it does it very entertainingly. This, to me, is the sign of a true classic.

Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay! is a fast and furious comic spoof, but one with a double message. Dario Fo is giving a clear depiction of ordinary people's struggles within economic crises. However, another message also rings out loud and clear.

When times are tough, sometimes it seems the only thing left to do is to laugh.

[Steven Godin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading Fo's play 'Accidental Death of an Anarchist' a few years ago and absolutely loving it! Why on earth I didn't think about reading more of his work at the time I don't really know. Well, I acted on it now! Three books in fact. I just went for this one first — and it didn't disappoint. This really was satirical and farcical and entertaining theatre at it's very best. The play revolves around two working class couples, overpriced goods, full-scale looting, fake pregnancies, and a police lieutenant who is given the runaround and ends up in a cupboard believing he is blind (he also plays the part of an undertaker, father-in-law, and postman). Most of the play was simply hilarious; in a crazy and ridiculous way, and despite the fact the plot is absurd, the key moments are actually initiated by real circumstances: supermarket price hikes, factories being closed down, labor disputes, prohibitions on Catholics — the political upheaval of 1970's Italy really does take center stage. Alright, maybe things do go a little over-the-top in some scenes, but that just added to the laughs!

[Hikmet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dario Fo'nun bu oyununu ya iki ya üç sene evvel Ankara Sanat Tiyatrosu'ndaki gösterimini izlemeye gitmeden önce okumuştum. O sıralar, gideceğim oyunlardan önce bulabiliyorsam metni alıp okuma gibi bir alışkanlığım vardı. Okuduktan sonra, ertesi gün çok güzel bir oyun izleyeceğimden emin olmanın mutluluğuyla gitmiştim tiyatroya. Yanlış hatırlamıyorsam AST'ta izlediğim ilk oyundu ve sahnede izleyince çok daha fazla etkilenmiştim. Ne yazık ki şu dönemde gidip tekrar sahnede izleme şansımız yok ama ekran başından da olsa izlemek isteyenler için YouTube'da kaydı var. Tavsiye ederim.

https://youtu.be/nkKjY6j8viw

[Baris Ozyurt · Rating 4 out of 5]

"GIOVANNI: Tabi, iş bir gelir, bir gider, kaderin cilvesi... Rulet oyunu gibi: Rus ruleti... Yo, yo, yo! Biz bu oyunu sevmiyoruz. Pardon ama, biz başka bir oyun oynamak istiyoruz. Gülüyor musunuz? Tabi, tabi. Haklısınız. Gerçekte biz emekçiler biraz alt tabakayız, öylesine alt ki, kıçımız yere yapışıktır. Altında ot biter hareketsizlikten. Ama hatırlatırız, yavaş yavaş önce dizlerimiz üstünde durup, sonra da ayaklarımız üstüne kalkabiliriz. Ey yukardakiler! Ve sizi uyarırız: Ayaklarımız üstüne kalkınca da sonuç almasını biliriz! Ama 'adaletli' bir sonuç..."(s. 101)

[Irene Gorrotxategi · Rating 5 out of 5]

En un barrio de Milán, frente a la abusiva inflación, las vecinas saquean el súper...
Obra de teatro divertidísima, con mucha carga política y humor. Irakurri 10 /10 🤠

[Riya ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe this play was written by a man, featuring such terrific female characters. I usually despise slapstick comedy, but Fo's farce was both effective and funny. Reading the play made me laugh out loud, and I often found myself thinking about the characters' powerful quotes. The good, kind husband with an awful, immoral wife—Fo deconstructs this myth whilst also aggressively attacking the communist Italian government's free-market policies at the time. Giovanni's shift was seamless and easy to comprehend. The play accurately depicted the role of common men (housewives) and labour organisations. The moustache jokes were quite amusing! The exchanges between Antonia and Margarita, as well as Giovanni and Luigi, were incredible to read! I loved reading this play. I might read more from Dario Fo soon!

[Raül · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarant i càustica obra de teatre que continua estant de total actualitat al tractar temes com la dificultat de les famílies per arribar a final de més per culpa de la pujada de preus i els baixos salaris. Diversió i crítica social. Molt recomanable!

[Dhanaraj Rajan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and half stars.

I would have rated it with more stars had I understood the political situation of Italy then.

My edition did not have an introduction introducing the backdrop of this play. I read an Indian edition which is not listed here. So I chose the one which has more or less the same number of pages.

But later I read the review of my friend Jean for this play and she had given the background political details. And that made much sense. I could appreciate the play better. The review of my friend Jean for this play: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

But one thing was certain. I was rolling on the floor laughing while reading the text. I would have loved to see the performance.

Pure entertainer. Political satire was lost on me initially. Only later I did understand it.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as part of the omnibus The Collected Plays, Vol. 1: We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! and Other Works translated by Ron Jenkins.

I really enjoyed the satire in this! Jenkins must have updated some of the text as there was at least on Hilary Clinton reference (!). I am sorry that I missed the first English production of this play, which happened at the ART not far from my home... however, even though it would be better to see it performed, this is a play that reads well. I look forward to reading some more Fo!

[Comfortably · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Και οταν μια μερα πεθανεις, δε θα πεθανεις σα γερος, πεταμενος σα στημενη λεμονοκουπα, αλλα σαν ανθρωπος που εζησε ελευθερος και ευχαριστημενος μαζι με τους αλλους ανθρωπους.."

[Ferda Nihat Koksoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dario Fo'nun, Torino'da işten çıkarılanlara, yükselen fiyatlara ve açlığa karşı mücadele vermeye çalışan düşük ücretli çalışanlara sahip çıkmayan sendika ve partiye karşı protesto amaçlı orta oyununa benzer bir eleştirisi.

***

Biz emekçiler eve, tıpkı yarasını yalayıp tedavi etmek için inine giden hayvanlar gibi girip çıkıyoruz... uyuzunu, bitini temizleyen hayvanlar gibi.

Kapitalizm tüm değerlerini çürüttü. Havanı, nehirlerini, denizlerini bozup kirletti. Sevişmeleri de, insan ilişkilerini de, yediğin içtiğini de çamurlaştırdı.

Yasa ve kurallar da soygu ve talan için birer kılıfsa, soyguncuların arasında sosyalistler de varsa ne yapacağız?

Ben sadece söz söylemeyi beceririm, içimi boşaltır, rahatlarım hepsi bu; sadece sohbetleme konusunda başarılı birisiyim.

Adın yoksulluktan batağa saplanmış ama onurun yerinde.
Bu soysuz yaşamdan usandım, özellikle sakız gibi uzattığın nutuklarından... sorumluluk duygusu, özveri üzerine... kemerleri sıkmanın onuru, emekçi olmanın gururu üzerine attığın nutuklardan...

Öfkem aslında kimseye değil... kendime, içimde hissettiğim iktidarsızlığıma... kendimi kullanılmış hissetmeme... çünkü sendika, parti bizimle değil, umutsuzların yanında değil... belki de sen haklısın, bende uşaklık kompleksi var, bunlara karşı hiçbir şey söyleme cesaretini asla bulamadım.
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Gerçekte biz emekçiler biraz fazla alt tabakayız, öylesine alt ki, kıçımız yere yapışıktır. Altında ot biter hareketsizlikten.
Ama hatırlayabiliriz, yavaş yavaş dizlerimizin üstünde durup, sonra da ayaklarımızın üstünde kalkabiliriz. Ey yukarıdakiler! Sizi uyarırız: Ayaklarımızın üstüne kalkınca da sonuç almasını biliriz!
Ama ADALETLİ bir sonuç...

[Happyplace · Rating 4 out of 5]

4'5⭐️

[Mire_grc · Rating 3 out of 5]

3'5/5⭐
No me lo esperaba pero es divertido 😃

[Razieh mehdizadeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

صبح بیدار می شوم و او نوبل گرفته و ان نوبل گرفته که ترکیه این روزها گفته است نمایشنامه هایش را اجرا نکنید. (به همان دلایلی که در ایران مثلا می گویند نمایشنامه های فلان کس ک را چون آنارشیست و کمونیست و مارکسیت است اجرا نکنید و...) او امروز مرد.. و من به روزهای 22سالگی فکر می کنم که او را در تالار اقبال لاهوری کتابخانه مرکزی پیدا کردم و... ان روزها که نمی شناختمش.. فقط هی کتاب می خواندم. ان هم کتاب های نمایشنامه و داستان و تیاتر و هرچه از این قبیل بود.. او هم یکی از ان ها بود. یک کتاب قدیمی درب داغان بود. کتاب را دو هفته امانت گرفتم.
حساب پرداخت نمی شود. ترجمه شده توسط جهان جهانشاهی.. یا یک اسمی شبیه این.. امروز هرچقدر گشتم تا نشر و ناشر را پیدا کنم نبود جایی. نوشته بود نشر " دیگر" . نمی دانم من هم همین کتاب را خوتندم یا نشر دیگری بود..
اینش مهم نیست. مهم این است که او در سن نود سالگی روزی که به باب دیلن نوبل ادبیات را می دهد و رودخانه ی هادسون نیلی ست و او یک انارشیست پیر و پرشور بود.. در چنین روزی او رفت.
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کتاب" حساب پرداخت نمی شود" ان روزها هی می خندیدم و می خواندم و اعجب می کردم که می توان طنز نوشت اما عمیق ترین مسایل انقلاب و جریان های اعتصاب کارگری را هم گفت.
دفرت آبی سال 89 را پیدا می کنم. کتاب هایی که خلاصه هایش را در این دفتر دارم هم بامزه است. آن روزها برای مجله ی سیاه و سفید و مجله ی ادبیات دانشگاه می نوشتم و از این دفتر خیلی استفاده می کردم. کتاب ها ( دفترچه ممنوعه آلبادسس پدس- دیر یا زود آلبادسس پدس- وانهاده سیمون دوبوار--حریق باد نصرت رحمانی--فراتر از بودن کریستین بوبن ---غیرمنتظره کریستین بوبن—شب به خیر مادر مارشا نورمن--- تهوع سارتر—عذاب وجدان آلبادسس پدس—دومین مکتوب کوییلو— من گنچشک نیستم مستور -- هوا را از من بگیر خنده ات را نه نرودا --- یا گچ نور روی تخته سیاه آسمان بنویس عرفان نظرآهاری – یک عاشقانه ی آرام نادر ابراهیمی – مکان های عمومی نادر ابراهیمی – بازی استیرینبرگ دورنمات --- چای با طعم خدا نظرآهاری – رویای نیمه شب تایستان شکپیر – تنهایی پرهیاهو بهومیل هرابال --- دست های آلوده سارتر – حساب پرداخت نمی شود داریو فو --- نامه به کودکی که هرگز زاده نشد – ما بسیاریم نرودا – خون دیگران دوبوار – تو مشعول مردن بودی مارک استرند --- عقاید یک دلقک هاینریش بل – ماهی سیاه کوچولو بهرنگی – شازده احتجاب --- ترمه و تغزل حسین منزوی)
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یک چیز جالب هم از فو زندگی اش با همسری بوده که با هم بوده اند برخلاف بیشتر هنرمندان و نویسنده ها این دو تا با هم بوده اند. خوشحال و همکار و کارگردان و تئاتری و نویسنده و...
خلاصه اینکه صبح را با رفتن فو آغاز می کنم و دلم می گیرد.. از خاطره ی 22 سالگی...
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حساب پرداخت نمی شود.
آنتونیا و مارگاریتا در جریان اعتصاب کارگری از سوپرمارکت به عنوان حق مسلم شان دزدی می کنند. شوهر آنتونیا موافق دولت است و فردی اخلااق گرا و زنش را از هر حرکت انقلابی بر حذر می دارد. برعکس شوهر مارگاریتا انقلابی و مخالف دولت است.
پاسبان هم مامور گشتن خانه هاست اما با انقلابیون است...
نعش کش تابوتش را به دو مرد قرض می دهد تا خوراکی های دزدی را جا به جا کنند و سلسله ی ماجراهای کمدی که در راستای گشتن خانه ی پیرمرد رخ می دهد و تابوت را که در کمد قایم کرده بودند می افتد و ...
" این کارفرمای توست که تورا دیوانه کرده. هوای تنفسی تو را گرفته و به گوه کشده است. رودخانه ها را تبدیل به فاضلاب کرده اند. همینطور نهرها و دریاها را... حتی عشق را هم دستکاری می کنند. روابط بین آدم ها هم مثل کالای مصرفی قابل خرید و داد و ستد شده."
" تمام زندگی همین مسیله ی عادت است."
گروه کر در پایان نمایش: " اگر قرار باشد یک روز بمیری مثل الاغی پیر با پوزه ی بسته نمیر. همان انسان بمیر. انسانی که آزاد است و آزاد زیسته."

[Moonquake Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Movement, movement, movement. If there's one thing Fo uniquely contributes to contemporary theater, which curiously in his case is an amalgamation of many theatrical traditions including Italian commedia dell'arte, Theater of the Absurb, Brechtian theory, etc., it's his focus on movement. This becomes very evident in this play where the absurd movements of food, characters and ideas across the stage serve to criticize the equally absurd movements of rampant economic capitalism that leads to inflation and blind obedience.

That being said, however, I feel the play is a bit idealistic in its outlook. Towards the end, Giovanni's transformation seems a bit contrived, but what else is to be expected in a work determined to expose truth through absurdity?

Ah, one last thing. If you're interested in seeing how exactly Fo incorporates movement into literature (after all, he did win the Noble for Literature), read the introduction by Jenkins (Fo's English translator) in the collected work of Fo plays titled We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! And Other Works: The Collection of Plays by Dario Fo.

[George Margoutidis · Rating 3 out of 5]

ΚΑΡΑΜΠΙΝΙΕΡΟΣ: Συγγνώμη, θα μπορούσατε να το επαναλάβετε αυτο; Πως το 'πατε για τ' αγριόσκυλα;
ΤΖΟΒΑΝΙ: Είπα πως δεν είστε παιδιά του λαού, όπως το λέει το Κ.Κ. Είσαστε δούλοι της εξουσίας, δικαστικοί κλητήρες των αφεντικών.
ΚΑΡΑΜΠ.: (Στους άλλους καραμπινιέρους) Τις χειροπέδες!
ΤΖΟΒΑΝΙ: Χειροπέδες; Γιατί;
ΚΑΡΑΜΠ.: Περιύβριση Αρχής.
ΤΖΟΒΑΝΙ: Γιατί περιύβριση; Δεν είναι δικό μου. Ο συνάδελφός σας πριν είπε πως αισθάνεστε σα δικαστικοί κλητήρες της άρχουσας τάξης.
ΚΑΡΑΜΠ.: Ποιοι, εμείς; Οι καραμπινιέροι;
ΤΖΟΒΑΝΙ: Όχι, είπε "εμείς", δηλαδή της αστυνομίας.
ΚΑΡΑΜΠ.: Α, έτσι; Αν αυτοί της αστυνομίας νιώθουν έτσι, σαν μπάτσοι, είναι άλλη υπόθεση. Βγάλτε του τις χειροπέδες! Αλλη φορά όμως να προσέχετε τι λέτε.

Σπιρτόζικο σατυρικό θεατρικό έργο σχετικό με την οικονομική πίεση που αντιμετωπίζουμε. Διαβάζεται γρήγορα (ότι πρέπει για διαλείμματα απο πιο κουραστικά αναγνώσματα).

[Misael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fo fue el último gran bufón del teatro y esta obra es muestra de ello. Sabía manejar y actualizar el humor como pocos dramaturgos contemporáneos. La sátira no escapa a nadie: obreros, esposas, agentes de policía o sepultureros caen víctimas de sus defectos. Lo más importante es que la pieza no cruza nunca el umbral de la crítica a la política y al capitalismo hacia el del panfleto comunista, ingeniosamente todos son burlados.

Un autor importante con influencias del Teatro del absurdo que es clave para entender la dramaturgia contemporánea y, a un nivel más, de las producciones humorísticas actuales. Demuestra que el humor es un arte delicado que no cualquiera sabe llevar a cabo.

¡Viva Fo!

[Andy Fou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarcastic and funny, as Fo seems to approach his scripts, although extra colored politically for my taste. This is totally expected given the era and the author's political orientation, but still it felt somewhat imbalanced. Not exactly my cup of tea. Quite enjoyable though.

I really enjoyed the characters of Antonia (the wife) and the left-leaning policeman; smart and witty with a splash of crazy to handle the difficult situations and some sarcastic meta-dialogues, indications of Fo's style which I find myself to love more and more. Add to the mix some absurdity in the plot and you have a lovely play.

[Alejandro C · Rating 4 out of 5]

- Bastante divertido, gran teatro político.

- Extrapolable a la actualidad, cuando los precios suben y los salarios bajan.

- Ya sabemos como empezar una rebelión de masas y hacer como esas amas de casa en el supermercado.

[Aroa Perez · Rating 2 out of 5]

pues bueno... podría haber sido mucho peor

[Sther Weasley · Rating 4 out of 5]

No he entendido el final, pero está gracioso! 🙈

[Esdras Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐️

[Zephyr · Rating 5 out of 5]

So witty, hilarious and poignant. The exploration of the struggles of working class through a volatile satire is one of its kind.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.8 entretenido, no soy de teatros pero está gracioso

[Snuffles · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's kinda nice to see, that all this shit happened in the past, and people took charge and it actually lowkey worked
makes me a little hopeful

[Tee J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I expected: A long unnecessary story with borning talkative characters and outdated language.

What I got: The exact opposite. This was assigned reading for my theatre class and I loved it. It's flawed of course but has urban humor, 21st-century language (it was translated from Italian) and outrageous characters. This play also discussed social issues like poverty. And shows that the law does more harm than good.

Writing 4/5. The dialogue wasn't long or outdated however it stretch out a lot. I suppose it would be better if I watched it instead of reading it. The narration was slightly difficult to understand but it is a play, after all, we were supposed to figure out how to portray the story not interpret it. The humor though! I was rolling on the ground with laughter I share my favorite lines down below. However, I felt like the humor was a little bit outdated. It kept stretching the joke and the more they stretched the joke the less it became funny. It's like "ugh is this joke over yet?"

Characters 4/5. Antonia is a scheming, bold, and free-spirited woman. A true chaotic neutral. I absolutely adored her she was my favorite. Giovanni, probably my least favorite. Mostly because he s a lawful good. From experience, chaotic neutrals and lawful goods do not get along. Also (and I believe it was intentional for his character), he was a bit of a misogynist. When his wife states the flaws in the judicial system, he scoffs. But when the male characters explain it to him he suddenly has a change of heart. Talk about mansplaining to the max. If it was intentional for his character to be THAT stubborn, it was very frustrating to read.

Side characters 3/5. Margherita and Luigi had no personality, other than being puppets that went along with the main characters or try to change the minds of one character. Although I also believed the story would not have followed along without them. So they weren't useless they just didn't have much of character to work with. Or maybe that's the actors' job to provide depth for these depthless characters.

Plot 4/5. The dialogue for the play kept going on and on and on there were parts where it was very boring and the jokes felt too slapstick and not enough farce.

Ending 4/5. I thought it would end very wholeheartedly but it made a very good point. Ever heard of the phrases "Respect Existence or Expect Resistance" That's sort of what they were saying in the last line of the play to show that these issues need to be taken seriously.

Overall 4.5/5. The play truly represented to my morals and beliefs and I believe we need this play now more than ever in this day and age. Maybe we could change it up a bit, have Antonia say to Giovanni, "You seriously need a man to explain everything to you what I have been saying the past 45 minutes of this play?"

Favorite lines without context:
"Sure, some guys buy into it. They get off on giving orders. They need to oppress somebody to feel good about themselves."
"Maybe he's dead!" "Always the optimist."
"Now, you want me to kiss a cop! With my political background! No... you kiss him..."

[Núria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una obra curiosa, entretenida y divertida. Cae simpática. Es como un vodevil, pero en lugar de esconder amantes en el armario se esconden conservas y paquetes de arroz que se han robado de la tienda de comestibles porque los precios están por las nubes. Las situaciones absurdas y los malentendidos grotescos son llevados tan al límite que me hizo reír en voz alta de verdad. Aún así, su denuncia social peca de cierta ingenuidad y un idealismo impracticable. Y los personajes son bastante planos, excepto el de Juan, que en un principio parece que está del lado del gobierno y de las leyes (por más que sean injustas), pero que luego descubrimos que es todo más bien por cobardía, aunque al final, como no podría ser de otra forma en una obra tan idealista, acaba comprendiendo su error y rebelándose como el que más; sí, excesivamente ingenuo, pero bonito.

[Coke Fernández · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es increíble cómo una obra de los 70 trata temas que siguen siendo de actualidad en 2015. La crisis, la precariedad laboral, la lucha de la clase obrera, la desobediencia civil, los desahucios, el descontento con la política... Y todo en clave de humor. Muy buena lectura, tendré que leer más obras del autor.
8/10

[ülgen · Rating 3 out of 5]

ikinci basımında bile füsun demirel'in dahi anlamındaki de'leri ayrı yazmaması sorununun çözülmediği bir kitap. dario fo güzel, oyun güzel, ama çeviri yürek burkuyor.

[Menia · Rating 3 out of 5]

readathon 17: 43 ένα θεατρικό έργο