Dario Fo was a born in 1926.

Son of a railway worker, he was not endowed with material

wealth yet somehow he got stuck in a situation which had nothing to do with him.
He grew up in a community where money was earnt by popular narrative which included a
group of travellers, story-tellers and puppeteers.
Coming out of his community, by choosing another occupation was indeed a rebellious act.
When he decided to conduct this play which would bring out the ongoing situation in Italy in
a rather comical but satirical way, it was considered to be risky. At times when he was
becoming a prominent playwright, the right wing clerical Christian Democrats government
had imposed a tight censorship on any kind of expression which would be criticizing the
government. Fo took a risky opportunity by letting this play flow. His aim was to attack those
myths in Italian life which as he said had been imposed by Fascism and preserved by
Christian Democracy. Dario tried to break away from the traditional stereotypes and
performed a play which would be a mixture of spectacle, mime and social commentary. This
made the authorities nervous since, characters portrayed in the play where set by real life
examples with a bit of playwright liberty to mend the characters so that they can convey a
message through it. The reaction of the political authorities and of right wing press was to call
for censorship, so that a particular decorum could be maintained within the political sphere or
to show the superiority yet basic rationality failed in situations like the death of a so-called
anarchist. Dario decided to look behind the faade of altruistic governments and pin pointed
the actual problems in a very subtle way through his play.
I feel that the Maniac is my favourite character. He has been diagnosed by acting mania
and has been charged twelve times for impersonation. Each time he has taken a different role,
sometimes as a psychiatrist, a forensics expert and even a bishop Fo showcases the police
spies in a comical yet serious way to send a message to his audience.
The Maniacs constantly shifting persona and hyperactive nature may also contribute to the
alienation effect which prevents audiences from being absorbed in the play and at the same
time derive the message out of it. Fo was inspired by the commedia dell'arte archetype the
Harlequin, a member of the underclass who comically thwarts a higher up by outwitting
them. The Maniac too acts as a fool in front of the police but this act helps him in asserting
the worthiness of the common people despite the disdain they are shown by the authorities.
Although the Maniac is said to be mad, the play will reveal that he is actually more sensible
than anyone else.
There are several variations of endings for the play. In a later version, the point of using the
Maniac as a medium of subtle humour is to show the broader picture. This is reinforced
with the Maniac's ending line: The main thing is there'll be a thumping good scandal. So we
can stand shoulder-to-shoulder in our social democracy and say, 'We are in the shit up to our
necks, which is why we're walking with our heads held high.' In another variation. I prefer the
version where the Journalist escapes and leaves the four policemen handcuffed and awaiting a
ticking bomb because it shows the inherent chaos and corruption in the system. The
Journalist appears to be a smart lady who single handedly becomes a vigilante. She goes
against the fanatics and the shows the threatening image of the police,