No Pay/No Way!
Dario Fo and his wife, Franca Rame, were a famous team of political clowns. Inspired by the traditions of the Italian Commedia dell’arte – of 16th century origins – comedy sketches that were both scripted and had improvisational freedoms, freedoms that could be pertinent to the political ‘auras’ of the local community they were playing in – using character ‘types’ that the populace recognised by particular masks – both half or full. Fo and Rame began their theatre work as political ‘sketch’ artists lambasting the political authorities in the Italian governmental and institutional hierarchy. They were invited to develop a…