| 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. 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.