Accidental Death of an Anarchist Reviews

"Daniel Rigby excels in Fo’s all too timely classic"

"From the moment the sensational Daniel Rigby opens his mouth at the Lyric Hammersmith, waving at us as if we were old friends – it is clear we are in gloriously unsafe hands."

"... there could not be a more appropriate moment for this show, zestfully directed by Daniel Raggett and elegantly designed by Anna Reid. Super-talented writer Tom Basden gives us a sobering romp of an update on the classic"

"Daniel Rigby is terrific as The Maniac in Tom Basden’s wickedly funny contemporary remake of the Dario Fo classic"

"If you’re struggling to manage your misery at the general state of the UK, then invigorating political comedy ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ is both much cheaper than a therapy session and vastly more entertaining."

"Bafta-winning actor Daniel Rigby delivers a toweringly good performance as he presides over the mayhem as ‘The Maniac’."

"... the combined talents of Basden, Raggett and Rigby make sure the audience is constantly in stitches."

"If London right now is a pressure cooker full of red-hot political anger, then ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ is an all-singing, all-pratfalling safety vent. Go to laugh and to rage, just as its author intended."

"Fury-edged comedy"

"Tom Basden’s riotous new version brings the satire right up to date and could not be more topical: Daniel Raggett’s staging (a co-production between the Lyric and Sheffield Theatres) arrived in London at the same time as the publication of a scathing independent review of the Metropolitan Police."

"It’s comedy that is the tool of interrogation here, however, and Raggett and his cast wield it mercilessly"

"The linchpin of Raggett’s staging is Daniel Rigby as the Maniac: a human tornado whose pratfalls, clowning and one-liners, delivered at blistering speed, simultaneously stitch up the coppers and leave the audience in stitches. He is well supported by Tony Gardner’s pompous superintendent, Jordan Metcalfe’s bullishly stupid detective and Shane David-Joseph’s hapless constable. A good week for eccentric narrators."