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| Edinburgh : A&E : Theatre: Reviews |
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Theatre listings > Mistero Buffo
- Tour. CITY Lights stars Gerard Kelly and Andy Gray team up to bring us internationally-renowned playwright, actor and director Dario Fo's politically-charged play Mistero Buffo (The Comic Mysteries). Kelly is behind the scenes directing, while Gray is all on his own for just over an hour playing every part in a series of four biblical tales with a modern twist. After a deliberately stuttering start, Gray bounds around the stage like a latter-day vaudeville veteran, bantering freely and with refreshing spontaneity with some unsuspecting audience members. He's a 21st century minstrel, mimicking the mediaeval giullare who travelled the countryside as roving entertainers articulating the people's anger against the governing classes. Gray races through the big issues of today - George Galloway, the Second Gulf War, American imperialism and ... I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. Before we know it, however, we're whipping out the popcorn for an irreverent spot of resurrection-watching as we see the raising of Lazarus by Jesus through the eyes of curious onlookers. The immediacy afforded by looking at a well-worn biblical passage in this off-beat manner is rather like standing in a crowd watching a road accident - even if we are resistant we become part of it. Gray's contorted facial expressions, twisted poses and occasional Scotticisms both amuse and take you where he wants you to be. In the tale of The Blind Man and the Cripple, he truly transfigures himself into an embittered, defeated legless man who enlists the help of a well-intentioned, if rather gullible, gentle giant who can't see. Water is turned into wine in The Marriage Feast at Cana, before Gray slips into scathing mode for an assault on the perceived vanity, callousness and cruelty of Pope Boniface VIII towards all those around him. Described as one of "the worst Pope's in history", it is said Boniface was "cruel towards his enemies … and much feared by his people", and this is clearly an assessment Fo agrees with. Gray plays him as a supremely arrogant, devilish creature who takes pleasure in hurting people and places himself above Jesus Christ in his own spiritual order. It may be a warts 'n' all look at the Bible but all the same it's done
with an agreeably light touch. Theatre
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