Review: Ring Round The Moon. The Lace Market Theatre. Nottingham.

Many moons ago (pun intended), in the 1950s, 1960s 1970s, many an UK amateur theatre group would certainly have a few Jean Anouilh plays and Eugene Ionescu plays in their play calendars and professionally Peter Brook was out there in his brave new theatre landscape changing world with his book The Empty Space. On stages nationwide all was changing; kitchen sink dramas and a new wave of working class theatre were replacing posh drawing room comedies and Howard Brenton’s Romans In Britain was one of the 1980s shockers yet to come. The theatre works of Sarah Kane and Edward Bond continued to shake up the status quo.

However, no such controversial misbehaving would be glimpsed in Peter Brook’s original 1950 production of Ring Round The Moon at The Globe Theatre in London. It was pure innocent fun with a dash of moral and social commentary tossed in.

Christopher Fry’s 1950’s English adaptation of Anouilh’s French language play, Invitation To The Castle, commissioned by Peter Brook, became Ring Round The Moon and three decades later still clung on in its whimsical way as a popular theatre entertainment then quietly slipped away for a time when such forms of comedy were seen by some as twee ‘gossamer thin’ theatrical fare. A few professional revivals have popped up with well-known leads even as recently as 2008 and locally, back in 1977, The Lace Market Theatre performed the play directed by Max Bromley. Bromley briefly appears this week as a character named Messerschmann.

So, here, at the Lace Market Theatre in Nottingham, in June 2025, we are whisked away to a glorious 1950s society ball. It’s a satirical play concerning twin brothers, Hugo and Frederic. (David Field as both). Romantic entanglements surround them on the eve of the ball.. Heartless and manipulative Hugo invents a scheme to disrupt his brother’s engagement to a wealthy socialite by introducing Isabelle, (Fiona Bumann) an impoverished dancer as a pretend guest. Unexpected twists and turns lead to resolutions that challenge the characters’ perceptions of themselves and the others in their rarified circles. The play explores love, deception and social class and touches upon the social hierarchy of the time, particularly the disparity between the wealthy and the working class. It has a delightful feel similar to a Restoration comedy.

The Lace Market Theatre production is keenly directed by Peter Konowalik with assistance from Polis Loizou. Orla McMahon choreographs. The stylish set design is by Nik Hedges. Lighting design is by Esther Warren and sound design is by Aaron Connelly. Production imagery is by Grace Eden. Costumes are sourced chiefly through The Lace Market Theatre Wardrobe department.

David Field plays a cracking part as each of the temprementally different twins and manages to be both hilarious and sympathetic juggling the twins’ contrasting personalities. At one magical point in the action he even appears to be seen in two places at the same time! Baumann gives her Isabelle a great deal of quiet humour, human warmth and slowly revealed intellect and maturity.

Back in the LMT 1977 production actress Amanda Hodgson played Isabelle but now finds herself very ably cast as the wheelchair bound Madame Desmortes a sage old lady who acts as our perceptive guide to the relationships and outcomes in the play and does so very wittily. Hodgson’s performance is one of the highlights of this very comical play.

In a recent radio interview the director Peter Konowalik has suggested his production of Ring Round The Moon as having ‘a pot pourri of different styles’ which certainly keeps the audience on their toes and keeps them smiling throughout a slightly convoluted plot. Much thought has clearly been given to the atmospheres of the play and music has been especially chosen to suit every change of scene. The ball gowns are a visual treat and worn with much grace by their wearers. The ladies look to the ‘manior’ born in them.

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"Ring Round The Moon" by Christopher Fry and Jean Anouilh.
Nottingham Lace Market Theatre.

Here's yet another play that I've not seen before, so what's it all about you may ask.

Adapted from Jean Anouilh’s 1947 play "Invitation to the Castle", "Ring Round the Moon", subtitled "A Charade With Music" and first performed 75 years ago, is a whimsical jaunt of love and matchmaking. Set in the winter garden of an estate during a ball, dancer Isabelle has arrived at the invitation of Hugo, a charming scoundrel and twin brother to Frederic, a young man hopelessly in love. However, Hugo believes that Frederic loves the wrong woman--the manipulative millionairess Diana--and wants to use Isabelle to break up the engagement.

At the same time, Isabelle must hide her identity (and melodramatic mother) to play the part of a wealthy socialite. Lady India, Hugo’s eccentric cousin, is the mistress of Diana’s father Messerschmann, but carrying on a secret romance with Messerschmann’s secretary, Patrice. And Madame Desmortes, the hostess of everyone, has just about had it with everyone’s secrets. A gorgeous and tasty confection of mistaken identities and heartbreak schemes.

It all appears to be very confusing and chaotic, in the best possible way, and has echoes of Shakespeare as well as Noel Coward's "The Importance Of Being Earnest" but is fantastic fun.

David Field plays Hugo and Frederic. Frederic is a young man with a heart and the identical twin of Hugo. Engaged to Diana Messerschmann, he blindly follows where love leads until Hugo plots to end his infatuation by hiring Isabelle to lure him away from Diana. Hugo, on the other hand is a scheming young man without a heart. David plays both parts very differently, so there is no mistaking which of the twins he is playing at any time due to how both brothers speak and their physical postures. I say that, but there's one scene where he does not speak, and for a time is an onlooker for a minute or so, so is it Hugo, or Frederic?

Very cleverly staged where David exits the stage as one brother, to return to the stage on the opposite side as the other. Is it theatre magic? James Whitby knows the answer!!

Trev Clarke plays Joshua, the Butler/Manservant/Handyman who manages to keep all of his butlering balls in the air. along with attempting to keep various secrets.

Holly Cooke is Diana Messerschmann, a young lady without a heart. She is engaged to Frederic, whom love has blinded to her true nature, she finally is led to see that she is meant for another.

Max Bromley plays Messerschmann, Diana Messerschmann's millionaire father, in love with Lady Dorothy India. It's not that often that we see Max on stage, but it's treats like this make his appearances such a treat on stage.

Kareena Sims is Lady Dorothy India, Madame Desmermortes' niece and Messerschmann's mistress. There's an hilarious scene with Kareena and Bombelles when they are discussing a certain situation that arises, while at the same time dancing around the stage. It really is amazing just how different a person can look when their hair is done different - I'm not sure if Kareena is wearing a wig but her hair looked wonderful. Her hair style completely transformed her whole face and look. Like Max, I personally don't think we see enough of them on stage.

Will White is Patrice Bombelles and is Messerschmann's secretary, engaged in a secret love affair with Lady Dorothy India. A brilliantly comical role which, at times, was wonderfully over the top, which was just the way the role should be played.

Mandy Hodgson is brilliant as Madame Desmortes, the aunt of Hugo and Frederic and the hostess at the ball. Shrewd and worldly-wise, she sets to right the confusion brought about by Hugo's hiring of Isabelle to masquerade as an invited guest. Mandy handles the tricky script as adeptly as she handles the wheelchair she is in. A lovely acerbic tongue on Madame Desmortes, but delivered with a twinkle in her eye.

Clare Choubey plays Capulet, Madame Desmermortes' companion. There is a lovely character growth with Clare's role, as when we first meet her, Capulet starts out quite shrew-like, but then when she meets someone from her past, she explodes into an excited little girl, jumping up and down, clapping and giggling away.

Romanville, a guest gently blackmailed by Hugo to pass off Isabelle as his niece and, hence, an invited guest at the ball, is played by Nik Hedges. Romanville is a lovely animated character whose range of emotions are played out wonderfully by Nik.

Fiona Bumann is Isabelle, the ballet dancer hired by Hugo to masquerade as an invited guest at the ball and to win Frederic away from Diana. You see Isabelle grow from a shy, nervous character into a fiery, bold woman who finally stands up for what, and who she wants. You totally believe that Isabelle could be a ballet dancer because physically Fiona has the stature of a ballet dancer. Another funny scene is where Isabelle and Messerschmann are together discussing her payment and they both end up tearing up wads of money; this may not sound funny, but the way that Max and Fiona play the scene is.

Dawn Gutteridge plays Isabelle's Mother, who accompanies her to the ball. Initially she is told to keep out of sight during the ball and then Isabell and her mother can leave in the morning richer and well fed. But Mother has different ideas, especially when she runs into an old friend who she had thought was dead, and soon becomes the centre of attention.

Anthony Owen we get to see near the end of the play as a General Footman alongside Anne McCarroll playing a Maid.

Directed by Peter Konowalik and assisted by Polis Loizou, they bought this chaotic piece of farce to life on the stage, which they made sure was paced to perfection.

Nik Hedges also is responsible for the sumptuous set design. When you first enter the auditorium it hits you right between the eyes, once you get used to the stage haze, which I didn't really see the purpose of. With an array of variable sized round and red paper light shades suspended to the left, right and centre stage, it was like walking into the lighting department at Ikea. They certainly made an impact, as did the rest of the static scene stage design.

Lighting Design is by Esther Warren. The boldness of the red light shades was all that you needed really for this comedy to compliment the steady fades for the changing of the scenes. Simple lighting is sometimes all that you need.

Sound Design is by Aaron Connelly. Perfectly cued music for dancing at exactly the right sound level.

Choreography for the several ballroom sections was by Orla McMahon.

The costumes are thanks to Max Bromley and Sue Drew and were, as to be expected, incredibly stylish and beautiful.

Stage Managed by Jenny Timmins with Assistant Stage Manager Russel Lawrenson, they made everything go as smooth as silk and were inobtrusive with the prop changes on set, so much that you didn't even notice they had changed anything. You only noticed when you looked twice.

Props Manager is Rebecca Steele.

The script, while being in places quite tricky, it must be remembered when this play was written, the language was slightly different, is great fun. It helps when delivering lines at this speed that you have an excellent cast of actors who can deliver at pace and still make sure that the comedy comes through with the pace. It is of the style of Wilde, and in parts Shakespeare, so straight away guarantees immense fun. There were real guffaws in the theatre on Monday night, and for a play that is not so well known and where you don't anticipate the laugh lines, this production is a real comic smash. If you want to see something not so well known, and like a good laugh along with some marvellous period costumes with a brilliant cast, then this is the play to see this week.

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