I am Italian. So when I saw that the Fireside Folktales Festival in Barnes was staging a piece by Dario Fo, Nobel Prize winner, genius satirist, and the only playwright who can make politics feel like a carnival, I felt truly excited. Fo wrote Dedalus and Icarus with his wife and creative partner Franca Rame, an actress and activist whose name should be shouted from every rooftop. Together, they were the punk rock of Italian theatre. And this play, newly adapted by Fraternal Compagnia (from my home town of Bologna) into English to celebrate the centenary of Fo’s birth, is a proper treat. No subtitles required. Just sharp wit, dark humour, and a warning that landed 2,000 years ago but feels like it was written yesterday.
Not the Icarus you think you know
Let us be honest. Most of us remember Icarus as the silly boy who flew too close to the sun and melted his wings. Reckless. Arrogant. A cautionary tale for teenagers who do not listen. Fo says no. That is too simple. His Icarus is not a fool. He is a warning against something far more dangerous: escaping reality in search of comforting illusions. Running away from the messy, difficult, beautiful world into fantasy. In an age of doom-scrolling, filtered photos, and curated lives, this play hit me like a cold glass of water.
The myth becomes a conversation, a fragile, funny, heartbreaking argument between a father (Daedalus, the master craftsman) and a son (Icarus, the dreamer). Daedalus builds the wings to escape prison. Icarus wants to fly higher. And higher. And you know what happens next. But the tragedy is not the fall. The tragedy is why he flew.
Scroll the videos to see Gabriel in action:
One man, one hour, no dull moment
Here is where I have to take my hat off to Gabriel Bird, who plays both father and son. This is a solo performance. One hour. Non-stop acting. Two characters, distinct and alive, switching between them with a tempo that never lets you breathe.
I have seen a lot of solo shows. Some are clever. Some are exhausting. This one was electric. Bird is an istriónico performer, the Italian word fits him perfectly. He does not need to break the fourth wall or drag you in by the arm. He simply acts, and you cannot look away. My friend’s eight-year-old daughter sat on the edge of her little folding chair, laughing at the ridiculous moments and leaning forward during the quiet ones. That is the mark of something special. When an 8 year old is gripped by a Nobel Prize winner’s meditation on fantasy and reality, you know the storytelling is working.
And mark my words. Watch this space. I can see Gabriel Bird becoming a Hollywood star, performing in big movies as the lead. He is that incredible.
Sharp, silly, and surprisingly sad
Fo and Rame never wrote just for laughs. They wrote to wake you up. Dedalus and Icarus is funny, properly, snort-your-drink funny, but it is also a tragedy. The bond between father and son frays as the son chases impossible dreams. The father warns. The son does not listen. And we, the audience, sit there thinking about our own children. About the fine line between encouraging their dreams and watching them fly too close to something that burns.
That is the genius of Fo. He makes you laugh, then he makes you think, then he makes you feel a little bit guilty for laughing in the first place.
Who should go see it?
The festival recommends the play for adults and older teens (15+), and I can see why. Some of the satire is sharp and the themes are weighty. The physical comedy, the rapid?fire character changes, the sheer energy of the performance, that transcends age. If your teenager is studying classics, take them. If your teenager is going through a phase of living on their phone, definitely take them. And if you just want a brilliant hour of theatre that will make you think and smile and maybe tear up a little, go.
The Barnes Fireside Folktales Festival is a gem. Intimate stages. Passionate performers. Stories told the way they should be, close enough to see the actor sweat.
The verdict
One of the best solo theatrical performances I have ever seen. No exaggeration. Gabriel Bird is a force. Dario Fo and Franca Rame remain untouchable. And Icarus? He is not a cautionary tale about arrogance. He is a mirror. Look closely.
Monica Costa founded London Mums in September 2006 after her son Diego’s birth together with a group of mothers who felt the need of meeting up regularly to share the challenges and joys of motherhood in metropolitan and multicultural London. London Mums is the FREE and independent peer support group for mums and mumpreneurs based in London https://www.londonmumsmagazine.com and you can connect on Twitter @londonmums
