The Comic Voice in Translation: Dario Fo's Accidental Death of an Anarchist

Abstract

This paper deals with the interplay between culture and humorous style by examining Gavin Richards's translation/adaptation of Dario Fo's play Morte accidentale di un anarchico (Accidental Death of an Anarchist). The analysis compares the original and the translation, focusing in particular on the text's oral humour as it comes across in the main character's way of speaking. The main character is the Madman (or ‘Maniac’ in Richards's version), whose wild comic expression, with its roots in the Italian theatrical and comic traditions, is crucial to conveying Fo's political and social message. It is demonstrated that the changes Richards makes to the Madman's discourse style result in a change in the character of the Madman and in the play's brand of humour and its message.

Keywords:

• Dario Fo
• Humour
• Humour Translation
• Theatre Translation

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Brigid Maher

Brigid Maher is a doctoral candidate in the Translation and Interpreting Studies Program at Monash University. Her thesis is on the translation of humour in Italian and English literature