Award-winning theatre company Rhum + Clay will bring their acclaimed adaptation of Mistero Buffo back to London this autumn.
Running from Tuesday 23rd September to Saturday 11th October 2025 at Pleasance Theatre London, this bold production opens the venue’s new season with a powerful blend of satire, storytelling, and physical theatre.
Originally created by Nobel Prize-winning playwright Dario Fo, Mistero Buffo is a series of subversive tales that reinterpret biblical stories to critique power and politics. Rhum + Clay’s version reimagines the central character as a Deliveroo driver, pausing between shifts to deliver a scathing monologue on modern society.
The production is co-created by Julian Spooner and Nicholas Pitt, with additional writing by both. Spooner also stars as the sole performer, portraying over one hundred characters in a physically demanding solo performance.
“This is an empty space production; Julian Spooner is the sole performer and architecture in space, conjuring people, places and things with just his body,” said the co-creators. “We’re asking the audience to suspend their disbelief, to believe in something they cannot see, to have faith in the performance. There is something beautiful and communal in the experience of this performance, we’re hoping we can bring people active hope, respite in laughter and maybe fire them up a bit too.”
They added, “We’re so excited to come back to this piece now, three years after its last tour and 7 years after we originally created it. The world seems even more febrile now; a second Trump presidency bringing global turbulence, the unending horrors of Gaza and Ukraine, the threat to democracy from tech oligarcs… feels like a good time to bring back a show that is full of riotous anger and satirical humour taking swipe at those in power.”
The creative team includes Designer Emily Bates (Barbie, Wicked), Lighting Designer Geoff Hense (64 Squares), Music and Sound Designer Jon Ouin (Stornoway), and Stage Manager Lauren Wedgeworth (The House With the Chicken Legs).
Having toured the UK, France, and Australia, this updated 2025 version of Mistero Buffo brings renewed urgency and relevance to Fo’s original vision.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
