ON THE CEILING till 28 May

ON THE CEILING: Nigel Planer (from an idea by Joshua Richards and Alan Osborne)
Birmingham Rep
Runs: 2h, one interval, till 28 May
Review: Rod Dungate, 24 May 2005

Engrossing, stimulating and, most importantly, highly entertainingCome on own up. How much to you pretend to know about the painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling and how much do you really know? Nigel Planer clearly knows a lot a very great deal and on his understanding floats this lovely, warm, human, touching comedy.

The play isn't about the painting of the ceiling the ceiling's a fascinating background. The play unfolds through the eyes of two of Michelangelo's painting team, Lapo and Loti; the play is revealed as their relationship and their relationship to their work is revealed.

These two workers prepare the plaster, the paints, prepare the backgrounds and mark up the cartoons on the walls. As they do it they complain about their working conditions (unlike Raphael's workers they don't get wine for breakfast and cakes in the afternoon), they talk about their work, think about their role in the greater picture. Planer's play is political the connection with workers and bosses (masters even Masters), the nature of work, duty, happiness, reward and creativity. The play is deceptively simple in appearance, in reality complex in its debates. In this lies part of the pleasure of the play.

Even greater pleasure comes from the relationship between Lapo and Loti; gloriously created by Ron Cook and Ralf Little. On the face of it Lapo isn't a likeable person, but Cook makes it impossible to dislike him he draws us into this man's worldly anger and frustration; he makes it terrifically human, we can see ourselves in him. Little is a perfect complement more naïve yet struggling to find a place for genius in the order of things. When Loti sees the completed ceiling he is awed by it and proud of his contribution, Lapo sees his contribution but strives not to see the whole (see Cook's performance to understand why!)

Not only do these two actors orchestrate this fine debate, but they also do it while carrying out all the technicalities of frescoing. Marvellous.

As with new works changes are made. I sense the ending needs a bit of work. A large front gauze is lowered for the final moments, no doubt to give us a sense of the whole ceiling. This is unfortunate because it both destroys the perspectives clearly defined by the two actors throughout the play and also separates us from the action, which is fuzzy as a result and weakens our relationship with the action. Even more so since Cook becomes Michelangelo; while I understand the effect Planer is after, the stylistic jolt is disturbing. Planer wishes to draw Michelangelo and Lapo together; there are other ways of doing it: and the disadvantages of the gauze outweigh the advantages.

This does nothing to lessen my pleasure though; the play is engrossing, stimulating and enormously enjoyable.

Lapo: Ron Cook
Loti: Ralf Little
Pope Julius II: David Frederickson
Cardinal: Luke Healy

Director: Jennie Darnell
Designer: Matthew Wright
Lighting Designer: Neil Austin
Composer: Adam Cork
Sound Designer: Fergus O'Hare
Projections: Richard Turner
Fresco Consultant: Fleur Kelly
Staff Director: Kate Varney

2005-05-25 10:56:44