Review- Theatre Group’s Accidental Death of an Anarchist at The Annex

Credits: SUSU Theatre Group

“How do you feel about the fourth wall? Too late!”

The University of Southampton’s Theatre Group production of ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ was two hours of pure delight. From the beginning to the end, the audience were brought to laughter, a testament to the phenomenal delivery of The Maniac (Kat Fevyer). Here, it is clear to see that this cast truly thrive working together. A seamless first act was followed by a second act that gripped the audience, as The Maniac takes you along a journey to piece together just how “accidental” the death of an anarchist was.

‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ is a satirical comedy written in 1970, originally by Dario Fo and Franca Rame, now adapted by Tom Basden. It is centred around a trickster, The Maniac, who outsmarts the staff in a Metropolitan Police station, after being brought into the police station for the crime of impersonation. The play follows the chaos that ensues due to The Maniac’s wit and charm.

Kat Fevyer as The Maniac truly brings to the role to life. Her clever wit and passionate delivery brought the audience to tears through laughter the entire night, with audience members filtering out at the end loudly proclaiming that her execution of the role was remarkable. Fevyer’s performance was nothing short of outstanding; truly a performance to be proud of. The cast here provided an incredible performance; the back-and-forth between Detective Daisy (Noah Harper) and Inspector Burton (Vivek Kanani) evoked roaring laughter from the audience. The loveable Constables Joseph (James Stark) and Jackson (Lily Akers) provided refreshing performances that are nothing short of wonderful, whilst the work of Morgan Allen in his role as Superintendent Curry alongside journalist Fi Phelan (Charlotte Pearce) brought much liveliness to the play as the hard-headed Superintendent tries to clear his name in the face of Phelan’s journalism. Despite the occasional opening night jitter, the cast of ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ provided a wonderful performance.

When moving past the satirical delight of this adaptation, the performance brings to light many prevalent issues, both of our time, and times before. Tales of corruption, racism, and misogyny are littered throughout the show, skilfully serving as a reminder that the dark themes referenced within the play are still deep-rooted issues within our society. The modern references featured within the play bring the central message of the play close to home, the audience have no choice but to confront the reality of their situation.

The production team must also be credited for their pivotal roles in bringing ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ to life. The lighting work was a well-executed feature, capturing the atmosphere of the room perfectly, at times honing in on Fevyer to ensure the audience were focused on the right person at the right time. Additionally, the cast rendition of ‘Bella Ciao’ reaffirmed the themes of the play and became a powerful beacon amongst the darkness of the play that lurked in the background. The Directors’ (Megan Lawrie, Alex Tsherit, Zayn Khan) take on this adaptation captured the attention of the audience through the slapstick comedy whilst never compromising on the intensity and importance of the dark themes throughout the showing.

‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’  is showing at The Annex Theatre until November 2nd. Tickets can be reserved here