The bow wow factor

Tuesday March 23, 2010

Is your pooch a budding thespian? Hammersmith's Lyric Theatre is calling all labradors and retrievers with a passion for the stage to audition for a canine role in its next production, A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky.

Lyric spokeswoman Amy Belson said the show's producers were looking to cast a pool of promising pooches who could be rotated between performances, and were appealing to local dog owners to submit photos of their pets.

"They're looking for a dog who is the stereotypical family dog and quite loveable, and although it's not in the show all that much, it's quite a key component," she said. "

The writers have said they would like the dog to be a labrador or retriever, but it could also be a cross-breed. The dog also needs to be well-trained and they're also looking for a slightly older dog, maybe around eight years old, so not a puppy."

She said the producers were ideally looking for golden or brown dog, with a calm and sociable temperament and not phased by the lights and sounds of the theatre.

"We need dogs who are very good with strangers and who can cope with crowds of people without getting spooked," she said.

Owners who think their pet has what it takes to should email a photo of their animal to marketing@lyric.co.uk by March 31.

Dogs need to be available for rehearsals during the week starting April 26 and for performances between May 7-29.

Owners of successful dogs will receive 10 complementary tickets for the show, a signed show programme and invitations to the press night and after-show party, and will also be acknowledged in the programme.