Nobel prize winning Italian playwright Dario Fo, dies aged 90

He stirred controversy with his 1969 work Mistero buffo

PHOTO: ITALIANINSIGHT

Italian playwright and actor Dario Fo, who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1997, has died at the age of 90, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announced Thursday.

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"With Dario Fo's death, Italy has lost one of the great characters of its theatre, culture and civilian life. His satirical work, research, stage work and multi-faceted artistic activity are the legacy of a great Italian to the world," Renzi said in comments carried by the Agi news agency.

Left-winger Fo, one of the leading figures in 20th century farce and political theatre, was best known for his works Accidental Death of an Anarchist and Can't Pay, Won't Pay.

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He stirred controversy with his 1969 work Mistero buffo (Comical Mystery), a retelling of the Christian gospels in an improvised format.

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