Nobel prize-winning Italian playwright, director and political activist Dario Fo, an acclaimed satirist who poked a finger in the eye of the church and state, has died aged 90, officials said.
Famous for his cutting political satire in plays such as ‘The Accidental Death of an Anarchist’, Fo won the Nobel prize for literature in 1997.
He remained a committed activist right to the end, skewering Italian authorities with his sharp wit and appearing at a rally in support of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement last month. He was admitted to hospital in Milan 12 days ago.
“With Dario Fo, Italy loses one of the great protagonists of theatre, culture and the civic life of our country,” said Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who was himself regularly ridiculed by the irreverent Fo.
“His satire, his research, his work on set design, his multi-faceted artistic activity remains the legacy of a great Italian in the world.”
Fo and his wife, muse and leading lady Franca Rame, captured the hearts and minds of ordinary Italians, writing and performing for stage, radio and television and regularly skewering political leaders with deft, clever dialogue.
