REVIEW: MISTERO BUFFO By Rhum & Clay at Pleasance Theatre 23 Sept – 11 Oct 2025
‘entertaining, energetic interpretation of Dario Fo’s classic’ ★★★★
A Deliveroo driver appears in the audience, moving among the tables. Who ordered the food? Who will give a tip? Like voting, tipping is a private business. People rarely discuss tipping. And in this moment, if we are someone who takes the food and closes the door, we might be feeling a little guilty because tips are important for food delivery drivers.
This question of what we choose to do or not to do, how generous we may or may not be, is the opening gambit for the 75-minute tour de force that is Mistero Buffo, Dario Fo’s seminal and satirical one man show, which through mime, physical theatre, storytelling, and the vigorous inhabitation of one hundred characters walks us through a series of Bible stories often through the perspective of incidental or minor characters.
They are stories that most of us will be familiar with even if we haven’t read or thought about them recently, Christian tales that would have been piped into us at school, or through church services and have been interpreted into Hollywood epics. The Bible is the original storybook and Mr Buffo brings us the Certificate X version with all the crazy, magical bits, the vile, heinous bits, the hopeful, redemptive bits, the censored and bloody bits.
It’s a gift for a performer and Julian Spooner, of Rhum & Clay takes on the challenge with total commitment, casting off his Deliveroo chains to enter this bizarre world of ecclesiastical fantasy accepted as holy truth and the basis for a global best-seller (The Bible) a major religion and its attendant thought control. These are incredible, wondrous stories that have inspired unshakeable faith for thousands of years.
Spooner, as the carouseling jongleur, holds the audience securely in the palm of his hand as he morphs into bloody soldiers, protective mothers, bleating lambs, pious angels, devilish drunks, and opportunistic ticket touts. Jesus sounds a cross between Charlie Manson and Donald Trump, with a voice that sooths, invites, embraces. The crucification scene is truly horrific as nails are driven into the palms of God’s only son, against the philosophical question of sacrifice and giving to others.
The direction from Nicolas Pitt is both tightly paced and light touch alongside lighting, and sound (Geoff Hense and Jon Ouin respectively) achieve atmosphere and depth with simple, clever solutions. From the chorus of angels to tantric raves and hip grinding rap, this is an entertaining, energetic interpretation of Fo’s classic, first performed by Rhum & Clay at the Arcola Theatre in 2018. In a post-truth world, where we all find ourselves inhabiting the fantasy landscapes of social media and daily politics, it shines a light on our basis of reality, the power of stories and need for hope.
MISTERO BUFFO By Rhum & Clay at Pleasance Theatre 23 Sept – 11 Oct 2025
BOX OFFICE https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/mistero-buffo
Cast & Creatives
Mistero Buffo
By Dario Fo and Franca Rame
Translated by Ed Emery
Additional material by Nicholas Pitt & Julian Spooner
Performed by Julian Spooner
Directed by Nicholas Pitt
Lighting Design by Geoff Hense
Music and Sound Design by Jon Ouin
Costume design by Emily Bates
Stage Manager Lauren Wedgeworth
Production photography by Luke Forsythe
