Description - Cariani and the Courtesans
CARIANI AND THE COURTESANS (review written by Lisa Manning) Paul could be seen on BBC2 on Wednesday 5 August 1987 in Leslie Megahey's play about 15th century Venice. Paul took the lead role as Giovanni Cariani in this fictional story loosely based on historical facts. Cariani is a painter who moved to Venice towards the end of the 1400's, where he lived and worked on the top floor of a near derilict house, the ground floor of which is rented by a baroness and her daughter Maria (Lucy Hancock). Cariani
is not used to the ways of the city and finds himself deeply involved with the sex, gambling and deceit thanks to his associations with artist Raimondi (Simon Callow) who forges many great works, Tullia a poet who lives nearby (Diane Quick) and Maria with whom he has fallen in love. Naive and honest, he does not fit in with his surroundings and does not achieve the fame and success he deserved. Eventually he makes an honest woman of Maria and they move with her mother. Although the characters existed, the play was designed purely to outline the moral and political values of the time. The costumes were very spectacular and the overall periodical settings were effective. Personally I found the play to be "heavy" and did not enjoy it as much as I'd hoped despite Paul's very creditable performance.
Reprinted in the "McGann Appreciation Society", Autumn 1987.
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