The Virtuous Burglar by Dario Fo - Set and costume design

Why should a one room farce be a] Victorian or b] brown?

For Dario Fo’s The Virtuous Burglar, I transported the audience to the colourful world of 1983. Fo and Franca Rame ran workshops at Riverside Studios in the 80s and I discovered a brilliant pamphlet that came from that. From this my brain leapt to The Memphis Group also based in Milan.

Inspired by the Group’s brilliant and distinct design, we built some OTT furniture, including a clock big enough to climb into and even move around in! Original 80s clothing, a lips telephone and a Pope Jean Paul II ashtray added details which brought everything together. 2026 is Dario Fo’s centenary year.

The fifth of five one-week plays by Flywheel Theatre Company at Riverside Studios as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.