MONOLOGUE 12 male character

MANIAC - Accidental Death of an Anarchist - Dario Fo

In Act One Scene one, the Maniac appears as himself, at the Central Police Headquarters in Milan. He is
accused of impersonating a psychiatrist but he cannot be charged as he is insane. He is protected by the law
so he cannot be punished yet he is free to investigate others and make accusations. A telephone call, which
he answers, provides him with the idea of impersonating the Judge who is investigating the mysterious death
of an Anarchist (true story) which allows him to unearth the facts. The Maniac is a central character and the
catalyst to the action in the play. He is different from the other characters in the play. He is not a real person
in the sense that the others are, but he is the voice of the dramatist. The Maniac radiates good humour and
charm and there is a kind of magic about him.
Genre: political satire/farce set in 1969, Milan Italy
Style: Epic theatre

MANIAC: Hello, Inspector Bertozzo’s office, whom do I have the

honour of addressing? … No, no, you tell me who you are and I
might hand you over to him… Who? …Oh how delightful…
(Holding phone away) …Bertozzo, it’s good old Inspector
Defenestration himself… Our little joke… from the French fenêtre
meaning window, i.e ‘defenestration’, ‘to chuck out the same’. Take
it easy. Four!

Who do you think I am… come on play the game… No, no… what
do you know? He guessed it. It is I. Your old mucker Inspector
Pietro Anghiari. Well done… What am I doing here in Milan? Ah
well… Why don’t you tell me what you want with Bertozzo first?
…Well he’s indisposed. He’s in the rough. Ah the case of the
anarchist. Where would that be, sir? …Political files eh… (Closes
bottom drawer) …What exactly have you heard on the
grapevine…?

Opens middle draw. Rummages.

Ha, ha… The Ministry doesn’t trust the motives of the judge who
conducted the first enquiry. Rotters, eh. Ha ha… sorry, no you must
be very upset, of course… yes, pressure of public opinion… quite a
who ha, ha who, who ha, don’t mind me sir, just me sense of humour
…Yes …ha ha …what a bunch of yellow turds they are in that
ministry. First, they were delighted and now they are losing their
bottle… I see, so this chao is being sent to revise your previous
testimony. I find that very interesting, sir.
(Takes out file) What’s this chap’s name? (Writes) Professor Marco
Maria Malipiero, and that’s the first councillor to the High Court?
You are being honoured. Ha ha ha… Sorry it’s old Bertozzo over
there, all this is giving him the giggles. (Holds phone away and
giggles like Bertozzo. Phone again) …Indeed… (Away) Bertozzo,
our friend up there says it’s easy for you to laugh but he’s in it up
to his neck, have a little respect… Yes I’ve got files. Your
testimonies, you and er… Superintendent… Verbatim reports of
the torture and interrogations… sorry, slip of the tongue. Shut up
Bertozzo! … He’s having a fit I tell you… he’s creased up… ha ha…
No I can’t tell you… He says what’s making him laugh is the idea
of you two sadists is the idea of you two sadists up there up to your
chins in shit… ha ha… Don’t get touchy… (Blows a huge raspberry
down the phone) That was Bertozzo blowing you a raspberry. He
says you can both rot for all he cares, you’ve stood in his way long
enough, about time you were re-posted or pensioned off… Where?...
Where? … South, probably, some flea-infested station in the
arsehole of the world where the bandits use the fuzz for target
practice when the melons are out of season… ha ha. OK, I’ll tell
him. (Phone away) …He says he’s going to push our faces in at the
earliest opportunity ha ha… (To phone) You and whose army…?
(Raspberry)