The Masquerade of Henry IV AUTHOR Micheál Mac Liammóir Translated from Luigi Pirandello's Original Play. Setting The action takes place in a solitary villa in Umbria, Italy. Time, the present. Synopsis An exploration of how actors play a part. Four actors arrive, one of them new, to play the part of attendants to Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. Unfortunately, the new one has assumed that the ruler is Henry IV of France, and so has read up and assumed the part of a French lord five centuries later. The four of them turn out to be attendants not, as initially seems, in a play about the Emperor, but to a rich Count who lapsed into madness following an injury received during a pageant in which he was playing Henry IV. PLAY TYPE Adaptation/Translation Number of Acts Full-Length Cast Size Male 11 Cast Size Female 2 Date of First Production April 1955 Production Produced by Edwards-Mac Liammoir Gate Theatre Productions ORIGINAL VENUE Gate Theatre/Amharclann an Gheata Original Cast Bertoldo Patrick Bedford The Marchioness Matilda Di Spina Coralie Carmichael Baron Tito Belcredi Christopher Casson Ordulfo Arthur Cox Giovanni Christopher Doyle Dr. Dionino Genoni Paul Farrell Landolfo Ronald Govey Henry IV Micheál Mac Liammóir Valet James McCrindell The Marquis Carlo Di Nollo Patrick McLarnon Valet John Molloy Arialdo Colm O'Kelly Frida Ursula O'Leary Production Team Designer Molly McEwen Lighting Hilton Edwards Costumes Eileen Long Produced by Hilton Edwards Stage Director Colm O'Kelly Assistant Stage Manager Patrick McLarnon Assistant Stage Manager Valerie French Wardrobe Master Paul Smith Chief Electrician Edward Fegan PR Máire Judge CLICK HERE for information on script availability, production rights and translations for this play The information for this entry was taken from the original production programme. Printer friendly version