Banned by the Vatican, reborn on a delivery bike: Award-winning satire Mistero Buffo comes to Leeds
Acclaimed theatre company Rhum and Clay brings its hit adaptation of Dario Fo’s infamous political comedy to Leeds
What happens when a medieval agitator collides with the precarity of the modern gig economy?
An award-winning solo production will reimagine Dario Fo’s iconic, controversial masterpiece for a contemporary local audience.
Originally banned by the Vatican for blasphemy upon its release, Mistero Buffo uses biblical tales and folklore to deliver a fiercely funny, politically charged satire on power, inequality, and the manipulation of truth.
Italian playwright Dario Fo, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1997, originally performed the piece as a solo touring show, drawing heavily on comic medieval street traditions to challenge political and religious authorities.
In Rhum and Clay’s acclaimed revival, the traditional ‘Jongleur ’-the travelling performer, comedian, and medieval troublemaker - is reborn as a Deliveroo rider racing between jobs on the streets of modern Britain.
Sharing tales of resilience and resistance amidst the hustle of zero-hours work, the production transforms one actor into a hundred distinct characters and locations in a high-energy, physically demanding performance.
Performed by Julian Spooner, the solo show won The Stage Award for Best Performance and has garnered widespread critical acclaim for its virtuosic physical comedy.
The Guardian praised Spooner’s ability to tackle a massive cast "with astonishing sharpness and clarity", while WhatsOnStage described it as a "shapeshifting, body-popping, mesmerising performance", and The Stage hailed it as a "magnificent production".
Both hilarious and provocative, the production explores urgent contemporary questions about who controls society's narratives, how communities become divided, and whether shared laughter can still bring people together in an increasingly fractured world.
When and where is Mistero Buffo playing in Leeds?
The production comes to stage@leeds (Stage One) at the University of Leeds, located on the main campus (LS2 9JT), for a single performance on October 1.
The show begins at 7:30pm with a running time of approximately 90 minutes, and carries an age guidance of 12+.
Tickets are available to book online now directly through the stage@leeds box office website.