Trumpets and Raspberries is a farce with the traditional ingredients of mistaken identity and its hilarious consequences, but it also has a strong political message. It was written by the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Dario Fo, and was first performed in 1981 under its original Italian title, Clacson, Trombette e Pernacchi (Claxons, Trumpets and Raspberries).
The fictional plot of this satire revolves around a real political figure, Gianni Agnelli, head of the Fiat corporation from 1966 to 2003. When wealthy Agnelli is disfigured in a failed kidnap attempt, he is rescued by humble Antonio, one of his Fiat employees. Antonio flees the scene when people start shooting at him, leaving his jacket on Agnelli's body. The rich and influential Agnelli is taken to hospital in Antonio's jacket, where he mistakenly has his face reconstructed in the poor Antonio's likeness. Chaotic confusion ensues as Antonio finds himself chief suspect in a kidnap plot against himself.
