Mistero Buffo – Friargate Theatre, York

Writer: Dario Fo

Translator: Ed Emery

Director: Paul Birch

Mistero Buffo is customarily performed as a solo piece, but Riding Lights’ production divides the parts between Cathy Sara and Thomas Frere. Sara, in particular, achieves an angry manic energy that fits well with Fo’s concept, but it’s rather odd to find a two-hander where the actors so seldom feature together.

Fo’s idea is to set up a kind of alternative Mystery cycle, telling Biblical stories, but giving them a modern bend – and a modern irreverence. Turning the water into wine is an excuse for a good old booze-up and the post-Creation Birth of the Villeyn lets Po expose the permanent oppression of the downtrodden. Though the story of the Villeyn is full of bitter satire, the mood through these opening two episodes remains comical.

On entering the theatre we find Sara franticly cleaning the floor of the in-the-round space, getting the front row to lift their feet, furiously mopping where an audience member has trod. This leads into Adam’s complaint to God of being over-worked and God’s response – to create the Villeyn from a donkey. Sara’s indignation, lecturing different audience members, is impressive, silencing Frere’s attempts at interruption, but it’s soon his turn, drunkenly taking us through his version of The Wedding at Cana where Christ’s intent is to spread happiness, even if it involves drunken revelry – his mother is delighted to see him so worthily the centre of attention.

This irreverence, coupled with a serious message, hits its peak with The Resurrection of Lazarus, Sara performing miracles of instant characterisation as the crowds gather to witness the miracle. So we get the graveyard employee charging all visitors, the pushers and shovers, the officials keeping the crowd in order, the gamblers betting on whether Jesus can do it and ultimately the pickpocket who runs off with their money. Central to it all, however, is the innocent believer who, as the whole thing falls apart, praises Christ.

The final two vignettes are much more serious in tone. Supposedly Fo took these little tales from those told by the jongleurs, those travelling entertainers who did for the Middle Ages much the same thing as Fo did for the 20th century, but The Birth of the Jongleur is anything but cheerful, Frere explaining how he became a jongleur. This is perhaps the upper c;lasses at their acme of boorish selfishness. The Villeyn’s beautiful plot of land is coveted by the local Lord who burns and rapes his way through until the Villeyn, having lost everything, plans suicide. He is saved by the appearance of Christ who empowers him to be a jongleur.

Finally we imagine Christ at The Crucifixion, Mary trying to reach him by ladder and arguing with a soldier and, most significantly, the Angel Gabriel who, she insists, cannot know how she feels. By now the contemporary references, the audience involvement and the racing to and fro are long forgotten.

Cathy Sara and Thomas Frere move from chaotic comedy to desperate sense of loss convincingly in Paul Birch’s eloquent production which might have benefitted from slightly longer time: more and better songs, for instance, or greater development of the many contemporary figures who are crying out to be included on Fo’s Wall of Shame.

Runs until 4 July 2026