Fo’s opening to the play is an interesting one, which engages the audience and provides clarification for the context of the play. The exposition is matched by its excellent denoument, which leaves the audience to decide the ending. This choice of ending is unconventional and leaves the audience on a cliffhanger, and with a lot of questions unanswered. The unusual ending is very clever. The audience is left to make a verdict of moralistic issues, which causes the spectator to reflect on actions not just in the play, but matters in society, which produces instability and insecurity.
Dario Fo uses several dramatic forms and techniques, which lead to the success of his satirical approach in conveying a significant political message. Fo uses the ‘verfremdungseffekt effect’, known in the theatrical circles as the ‘V’ effect. This ‘V’ effect is anything deliberately designed to remind the audience that they are in the theatre, and that what they are watching is not real. This effect is a distancing device that repeatedly shocks the audience, maintaining their concentration. The word ‘verfremdungseffekt’ is a German word, which is associated with the playwright and practitioner Bertlot Brecht who heavily influenced Fo. This distancing effect had been translated into English as the ‘alienation effect’, which has also been abbreviated as the ‘A effect’. By using this distancing technique it creates a division between the audience and the action on the stage. This results in the break down of the forth wall in theatre, which allows the playwright to convey their messages effectively.
Brecht and Fo are political playwrights who endeavour to communicate meaning in order to allow the audience to ask questions about what is happening on stage. Although they share political intentions individually they have been affected and influenced by different art forms. Street theatre and the old traditional Commedia Dell’Arte heavily influenced Fo. Unlike Brecht, who found inspiration from film and jazz of his era. These different influences have resulted in them having diverse types of humour.
Fo developed a form of satirical farce influenced by Bertholt , but used the less formal tradition of Commedia Dell’ Arte. This was a popular form of comedy employing improvised dialogue and masked characters that flourished in Italy from the 16th to the 18th century. He was also inspired by the circus and carnivals.
From being influenced from Commedia Dell’ Arte it is clear to see that stock characters have been used. The Maniac is a classic example of the jester character that controls the play and talks to the audience. Fo uses farce and slapstick to explore social and political issues. Farce is light, comic piece in which the characters and events are greatly exaggerated to produce broad, absurd humour. A typical example of farce with the use of slapstick in this play is when the Maniac dresses up as a judge. This misunderstanding within the play uses dramatic irony, which is a classic example of farce. Fo’s use of satire also uses dramatic irony, which is useful in conveying political messages. Satire is a valuable tool in getting across anger in political protest.
Dario Fo use of dramatic tension is cleverly used along side these techniques. He develops the play by contrasting the dramatic elements and the energy of the play. An example of this is when he starts Act 1, Scene 2 were the Maniac is disguised and hiding a carrier bag containing a tape recorder under the desk. The scene opens in silence and involves little movement, however this movement is important to the understanding of the play. Fo then contrasts this with the end of this scene, where they sing a song. This contrast of silence and sound, energy levels high and low, which increase the excitement as it allows the play to proceed at a varied pace.
