Invitation to the Castle
| Invitation to the Castle | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Jean Anouilh |
| Characters | Madame Desmortes Diana Messerschmann Lady Dorothy India Frédéric Geraldine Capulet Guy-Charles Romainville Hugo Isabelle Joshua Mother (Josephine) Patrice Bombelles Romuald Messerschmann |
| Date premiered | 5 November 1947 |
| Place premiered | Theatre de l'Atelier, Paris |
| Original language | French |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Setting | A glamorous society ball in 1950s France |
Invitation to the Castle (French: L'Invitation au Château) is a 1947 satirical play by the French playwright Jean Anouilh. It was adapted in 1950 by Christopher Fry as Ring Round the Moon. The play concerns twins, a cold, manipulative playboy Hugo, and his sensitive brother Frédéric. Frédéric is madly in love with Diana, the spoiled daughter of a self-made millionaire. She herself wants Hugo, as his impenetrability teases her. In order to show to Frédéric that Diana is not worth his attentions, Hugo invites to a ball Isabelle, a lower-class dancer, whom he Pygmalion-like transforms into an aristocratic beauty.
The play was first presented on 5 November 1947 at the Théâtre de l'Atelier, Paris. The production was directed by Peter Brook. The first production on Broadway was in 1950 and starred Denholm Elliott and Stella Andrew.
The French composer Francis Poulenc wrote a chamber suite on Invitation to the Castle.
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