THE UPCOMING production of Annie has chosen the dog who will play Sandy at The Swan Theatre this summer.
The Worcester Operatic and Drama Society’s youth section (WODYS) auditioned seven dogs on Saturday (March 7) and chose five-year-old Bentley for the role.
Rob and Melanie Beattie, from Battenhall, own the golden retriever, Mr Beattie said: “He’s definitely looking forward to making his stage debut. He is good with children and adores our 12-year-old daughter, Natasha. He’s so laid back he’s almost horizontal.”
Teddy, a four-year-old miniature labradoodle was named understudy. His owners Helen and Inglis Thomson said he is very well behaved and gets along well with children.
Producer David Humphries thanked all those who took their dogs to the rehearsal hall in Arboretum and said there was not a bark or growl when they met the cast of 62.
He and Maisy Jones, who is playing Annie, chose Bentley to take part in the show on Tuesday (August 4) until Saturday (August 8).
Worcester MP Robin Walker also attended the rehearsals on the same day.
He said: “It is already obvious that it is going to be another fantastic show. It is really exciting to see another performance in the making. It’s fantastic to see the dedication of everyone involved from the pianist to the producer.
“I have been to the last four or five WODYS shows and been blown away each time by the performance.
“There is such an enormous amount of hard work to make these performances happen. I used to watch Annie as a child and I am really looking forward to seeing this one.”
