No Pay? No Way!
Royal Exchange Manchester

WHAT an amazing and uplifting feeling it is when a play closes with a stirring rendition of the fabulous Italian resistance song Bella Ciao and the whole audience spontaneously stands, cheers and wildly applauds. 

It is one of those joyful moments when you understand the importance of theatre to people. 

It may only be a fleeting feeling but for that moment you realise the importance of collective solidarity.  

Much of the credit for this wonderful emotional outburst is due to the Marieke Hardy’s excellent adaptation of Dario Fo and Franca Rame’s classic satire Can’t Pay? Won’t Pay!, here retitled No Pay? No Way!

Fo and Rame unleashed their savage satirical farce on a Milanese audience in 1974. It premiered against a backdrop of soaring food costs, an energy crisis, rising unemployment and a corrupt political system. Unfortunately their play is as relevant today as it was in the 1970s.

This superb production is fast, furious and hilarious yet can still rip the guts from the global capitalist system. 

Antonia has inadvertently joined a group of women “liberating” food from the supermarket in response to the doubling of prices. While explaining events to her friend Margherita, Giovanni, her husband, a stickler for honesty and obeying the rules returns early from work. 

In a panic she stuffs the stolen goods up Margherita’s coat. Eagle-eyed Giovanni spots the unexpected weight gain by Margherita which prompts the women to invent a miracle pregnancy.

Cue a whirlwind of glorious farce involving wives, husbands and various ridiculous carabinieri.  

The action is fast and furious and the laughs constant and hysterical. The cast, Roger Morlidge, Katherine Pearce, Samantha Power, Anwar Russell and Gurjeet Singh are truly outstanding. Their pace, delivery and timing are impeccable. A real comic masterclass.

A mention also to director Bryony Shanahan whose clever use of the Royal Exchange’s unique space is perfect and Cecile Tremolieres’ fantastically imaginative design which includes a playground slide that would be the envy of any child.

For all the laughs and hijinks this is a very political play and although Hardy plays with some of the original wording and scenes, she never loses sight of the core message.

If anything, she heightens the importance of the message and the marvellously powerful soliloquy she gives Margherita at the end moved many in the audience to tears. 

As Fo and Rame said, theatre should not only move people, it should lead to change. The Royal Exchange has just delivered a Fo, Rame, Hardy classic which has the power to do just that.

Runs until June 10 2023; box office: (0161) 833-9833, tickets.royalexchange.co.uk.