Friargate Theatre – until Saturday 4th July 2026
Reviewed by Michelle Richardson
4****
The York Mystery Plays, have returned once again to the beautiful city of York, for two weeks only. As part of the festival, Friargate Theatre is currently showing Riding Lights Theatre Company’s adaptation of Dario Fo’s Mistero Buffo, under the direction of Paul Birch, and Ollie Brown as production designer and composer. A satire, written and performed in the 1960’s, it attracted a lot attention and controversy, from the Vatican especially, declaring it blasphemous.
Mistero Buffo was written as a solo piece of work, but this is a two-hander, with Cathy Sara as a cleaner and storyteller, and Thomas Frere as a drunk, and Jongleur. It’s follows Biblical stories, but often with a modern twist, with references to Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Russell Brand, to name a few, as examples of how we aren’t all equal, and how power can corrupt.
On entering the studio there’s a cleaning lady frantically mopping the black shiny floor. She is muttering to herself, and huffs and puffs at everyone walking over it to get to their seats, then starts all over again. During the mumblings she takes on the role of Adam, complaining to God of being overworked. God then creates the Villeyn from a donkey, a symbolism of the downtrodden, to ease Adam’s burden. Frere stumbles onto centre stage, interrupting, he’s drunk and just want to tell everyone about the great time he’s had. The water has been turned into wine and created the most magical drink, and party, ever.
At this stage it is very comical, but things become more serious. Frere explains how he became a Jongleur. The Villeyn’s land is desired by the local Lord, using his privilege to pillage his way through, until the Villeyn can only see one way out, death. The appearance of Christ saves him, empowering him to become a Jongleur.
The Resurrection of Lazarus. Sara is truly magnificent here, switching roles with a blink of an eye. I lost count of the different characters she portrayed here, all with a change of accent and demeanour, it was fabulous to watch and stunning to witness. Finally it is The Crucifixion, a ladder taking centre stage, a mother pleading to stop her sons suffering, to no avail.
Although Sara and Frere share the stage, their interactions are limited, with their stories unfolding alongside one another. When they do connect, they work well together. Both performers take on several characters, shifting facial expression, voice and, at times, adding or removing a jacket. Frere adds live music, playing a couple of instruments and singing. I’m always impressed by performers who deliver such wordy monologues with such eloquence, and both excelled here.
The set is stripped back, props kept to a minimum, but wonderfully utilised, bin bags rustled to create rain, a jacket embellished with feathers to depict Archangel Gabriel.
Mistero Buffo is a series of satirical monologues inspired by medieval mystery plays, biblical stories and popular folklore. This adaptation takes the audience on an emotional rollercoaster, drawing you in with laughter, music and silliness before moving into darkness and heartbreak.
I have never visited this theatre before, it’s a small intimate studio theatre, set back from the River Ouse, with parking a couple of hundred metres away. On entering the stage you could sit wherever you wished.
Playing until Saturday 4th July.