Review: Mistero Buffo by Dario Fo and Franca Rame at A Play, A Pie and A Pint, Oran Mor, Glasgow

Name: Mistero Buffo
Brand: A Play, A Pie and A Pint
Rating: 4 (1 reviews)

Lisa in the theatre
May 7
5 min read

Updated: May 13

The first ever Scots language version of infamous play Mistero Buffo premiers at A Play, A Pie and A Pint in Glasgow this week. Described by the Vatican as "blasphemous" - Mistero Buffo is by Nobel-prize winning Italian writer Dario Fo and his wife Franca Rame.

Review: Mistero Buffo, Oran Mor, Glasgow | 7 May 2025

Lawrence Boothman in 'Mistero Buffo' Photo credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan

Mistero Buffo, A Play, A Pie and A Pint 2025 ★★★★☆

A series of monologues traditionally performed in Italian, Dario Fo's Mistero Buffo is a popular but controversial piece of theatre that reimagines biblical tales, questions history and mocks the elite.

Revived and translated for A Play, A Pie and A Pint in 2025 by linguist and former University of Strathclyde professor Joseph Farrell, who has translated several of Dario Fo’s works, including the 1990 version of Mistero Buffo which starred Robbie Coltrane, this new version of the "blasphemous" Mistero Buffo is the first to be performed in the Scots language.

The play has also been relocated to the current day by director Ben Standish who self-referentially places the action in a theatre. The idea is that the audience are waiting for a production of Hamlet to begin when an actor (Lawrence Boothman) bursts on to the stage on the run from the authorities. He takes this moment in the spotlight to share some stories with us.

The concept is brilliant. A Giullari was a travelling jester of sorts who would perform in town squares across Italy, speaking to the people in their local languages and dialects, telling stories, spreading the news, entertaining the crowds. Mistero Buffo takes that concept and converts it into a play made up of bible stories and folk tales twisted to shock, challenge the accepted narrative and ultimately, entertain.

In Standish's new version, our stage-crasher speaks to us in the Scots language. I'm someone who prefers that classic plays are left alone - they're classics for a reason; but this reimagining of Mister Buffo in Scots, performed to a Scots audience, in a theatre, inside a Glasgow theatre (how meta) makes perfect sense for a Scottish production. I'd like to think Fo would approve!

Featuring a furious, powerful performance by Lawrence Boothman with impeccable direction from Ben Standish, I now understand why the Vatican was not a fan of this play. This satirical production pokes fun at stories from the bible and everyone and everything in them. Boothman plays every character with exquisite, animated, frenzied detail, switching between roles in the blink of an eye. He is fully committed to every part, every line. He's simply incredible.

The four stories are captivating. Funny, provocative, probably offensive to some. I found the first two superior to the later two, but Boothman had the audience in the palm of his hands for the entire play.

Ben Standish's lively direction sees our Giullari make full use of the performance space. With a new, almost 'in the round' stage configuration for A Play, A Pie and A Pint at Oran Mor that works better than the normal layout to allow more of the audience a better view of the stage and performer(s), and a simple yet striking stage design from Heather Grace Currie, this Mistero Buffo is spellbinding theatre.

I always have a soft spot for a show that speaks to me in my own language, but this Mistero Buffo is a true must-see for any fans of Scottish Theatre. This is a Scots adaptation done beautifully, and awards surely await for both Boothman and Standish.

Mistero Buffo is at Oran Mor in Glasgow until Saturday 10th May 2025 and then transfers to Ayr Gaiety Theatre. Full listings are here

Director Ben Standish said:

“I first saw a production of Mistero Buffo ten years ago and was absolutely mesmerised by its unfortunate resonance. I’d never seen a piece that was so hilarious and yet had such a sharp political edge.

“I found out whilst researching Mistero Buffo that when Dario Fo would tour it, he would adapt the language of the piece to reflect the local dialect of the audience, so it feels very special for us to be able to premiere this full Scots language adaptation in Glasgow and Ayr, thanks to the brilliant Joe (Joseph Farrell) and with kind permission from Fo’s estate.

“With our production, we have reframed the iconic monologues and built a story around a protagonist, an actor feeling the authorities. Partly because no-one can do what Fo did, and partly because we hope this reframing underlines the resonance that these side-splitting stories still have in the frightening and overwhelming times in which we live.

“We’re incredibly excited to share this work with A Play, A Pie and A Pint’s loyal audience. We hope it’s a thought-provoking show — but above all, a properly entertaining and amusing accompaniment to the pies and pints."

Brian Logan, Artistic Director at A Play, A Pie and A Pint, said:

“We heard in the news this week that the number of new plays in UK theatres is down by a third compared to 10 years ago and audiences won’t take a risk on new material, we’re told. At A Play, A Pie and A Pint, where more new plays are produced per year than anywhere else, it’s the complete opposite. Our audiences embrace the new, every week – and we can’t wait to share with them this all-new Scots language version of Mistero Buffo, delivered by a cracking team of up-and-coming artists and situated squarely in that sweet spot where radical meets popular meets an electrifying way to spend your lunchtime.”

Find the full list of plays and more info about PPP's Spring season here