"Ring Around The Moon" by Christopher Fry and Jean Anouilh.

Lace Market Theatre, Nottingham.

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.

"Ring Around The Moon" is at the Nottingham Lace Market Theatre until Saturday 28 June.

Photography by Grace Eden Photography.