''Ring Round the Moon'' is a

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 crashes in a snowstorm. All 19 ...

adaptation by the English dramatist

Christopher Fry Christopher Fry (18 December 1907 – 30 June 2005) was an English poet and playwright. He is best known for his verse dramas, especially '' The Lady's Not for Burning'', which made him a major force in theatre in the 1940s and 1950s. Biograp ...

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ''Antigone'', an a ...

's '' Invitation to the Castle'' (1947).

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Sha ...

commissioned Fry to adapt the play and the first production of ''Ring Round the Moon'' was given at the

Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and ...

. The production starred

Paul Scofield David Paul Scofield (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was a British actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the US Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Award, Emmy, and Tony for his work. He won the three awards in a seve ...

Claire Bloom Patricia Claire Bloom (born 15 February 1931) is an English actress. She is known for leading roles in plays such as ''A Streetcar Named Desire,'' ''A Doll's House'', and '' Long Day's Journey into Night'', and has starred in nearly sixty film ...

and Margaret Rutherford.

Notable productions

* A West End production of ''Ring Round the Moon'' was given at the

Theatre Royal Haymarket The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foot ...

starring John Standing as the twins and Angela Thorne as Diana in 1967. * A production was given in 1975 at the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, directed by Joseph Hardy and starring: :*

Glynis Johns Glynis Margaret Payne Johns (born 5 October 1923) is a South African-born British former actress, dancer, musician and singer. Recognised as a film and Broadway icon, Johns has a career spanning eight decades, in which she appeared in more than ...

- Madam Desmermortes :*

Michael York Michael York OBE (born Michael Hugh Johnson; 27 March 1942) is an English film, television and stage actor. After performing on-stage with the Royal National Theatre, he had a breakthrough in films by playing Tybalt in Franco Zeffirelli's ''Ro ...

- Hugo/Frédéric :* Kitty Winn - Isabelle *

Steven Pimlott Steven Charles Pimlott (18 April 1953 – 14 February 2007) was an English opera and theatre director, whose obituary in ''The Times'' hailed him as "one of the most versatile and inventive theatre directors of his generation". His output ran th ...

directed a production at the

Royal Exchange, Manchester The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on the land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal ...

in 1983. * The play was revived on Broadway in 1999 and starred

Toby Stephens Toby Stephens (born 21 April 1969) is an English actor who has appeared in films in the UK, US and India. He is known for the roles of Bond villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 James Bond film ''Die Another Day'' (for which he was nominated for the ...

. * The most recent West End production opened on 19 February 2008 at the

Playhouse Theatre The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square, central London. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt i ...

. The production, presented by Karl Sydow, and Act Productions, was directed by Sean Mathias with design by

Colin Richmond Colin F. Richmond (born 1937) is a British historian of late medieval England. After degrees from the University of Leicester and the University of Oxford, he spent his entire career teaching at Keele University, rising to become Professor of M ...

and starred: :*

Emily Bruni Emily Bruni (born 1975 in Exeter, Devon) is an English actress. She trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. In 2000, she played Tanya in the drama Metropolis by Peter Morgan. She starred alongside Rik Mayall in the sitcom ...

- Lady Dorothy India :*

Fiona Button Fiona Button is an English actress. She is best known for playing Rose Defoe in '' The Split''. Early years and education Button was born in Lausanne, Switzerland. She grew up in Newbury, Berkshire where she attended Park House School and the ...

Lindsay Armaou Lindsay Gael Christian Elaine Armaou ( el, Λίντσεϊ Αρμάου; born 18 December 1978) is a Greek-born Irish actress and singer. She is best known as a member of girl group B*Witched and for her roles as Sister Georgina in the crime thri ...

- Isabelle :*

Joanna David Joanna David (born Joanna Elizabeth Hacking; 17 January 1947) is an English actress, best known for her television work. Life David was born in Lancaster, England, to Davida Elizabeth (''née'' Nesbitt) and John Almond Hacking. In 1971, she ...

- Geraldine Capulet :*

Elisabeth Dermot-Walsh Elisabeth Dermot Walsh (born 15 September 1974) is an English actress, known for her role as Zara Carmichael in the BBC soap opera '' Doctors''. In 2015, she won Best Female Acting Performance at the RTS Midlands Awards for her portrayal of Zara ...

- Diana Messerschmann :* Peter Eyre - Joshua :*

JJ Feild John Joseph Feild (born 1978) is a British-American film, television and theatre actor. He started his television career in 1999. Feild played Fred Garland in Philip Pullman's ''The Ruby in the Smoke'' and ''The Shadow in the North'' television ...

- Hugo/Frédéric :* Andrew Havill - Patrice Bombelles :*

Belinda Lang Belinda Lucy Lange (born 23 December 1953), known professionally as Belinda Lang, is an English actress. She is known for playing Liza in the ITV sitcom '' Second Thoughts'' (1991–94), and Bill Porter in the BBC sitcom ''2point4 Children'' ...

- Mother (Josephine) :* Leigh Lawson - Romuald Messerschmann :*

John Ramm John Ramm is an English comedian and actor. He plays Raymond Box in the National Theatre of Brent, and has also appeared on film and television in '' Robin Hood'' ("Will You Tolerate This?"), ''The Palace'', '' Foyle's War'' (" All Clear") and as ...

- Guy-Charles Romainville :* Angela Thorne - Madame Desmersmortes Music was composed by Jason Carr, and

Wayne McGregor Wayne McGregor, CBE (born 12 March 1970) is a multi award-winning British choreographer and director. He is the Artistic Director of Studio Wayne McGregor and Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet. McGregor was appointed Commander of t ...

was movement director. Lighting was designed by Mark Henderson, and sound was designed by Gregory Clarke. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ring Round The Moon 1962 plays Plays by Christopher Fry