The first performance of The Real Inspector Hound took place at the Criterion Theatre in London on 17 June 1968 with the cast as follows:
- Moon – Richard Briers
- Birdboot – Ronnie Barker
- Mrs. Drudge – Josephine Tewson
- Simon Gascoyne – Robin Ellis
- Felicity Cunningham – Patricia Shakesby
- Cynthia Muldoon – Caroline Blakiston
- Major Magnus Muldoon – Antony Webb
- Inspector Hound – Hugh Walters
The play was directed by Robert Chetwyn, while the design was completed by Hutchinson Stott.