GALLERY: 'Ruff' competition as dogs compete for Grand Theatre role in Wizard of Oz
It was a dog's life for theatrical bosses when it came to choosing a winning pooch to star in an upcoming musical.
Thirteen cute canines turned up at Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre to audition for the part of Toto in The Wizard of Oz which is being staged in October by West Bromwich Operatic Society.
The dogs were put through their paces by the show's director Simon Pugh and 17-year-old Jess Harrison, who plays Dorothy in the production.
But two stood out – Angel and Maggie – with both being signed up to take to the stage come the autumn.
"I've worked with dogs before but I've never auditioned one," said Simon. "The part of Toto is vital to the show as he or she is on stage pretty much all the time.
GALLERY: It's a dog's life
"We needed a dog that could perform off the lead and remain calm in front of an audience, with loud music going on and a small explosion when the wizard appears. They were mostly well behaved although there was one little accident on stage early on.
"Out of the 13, eight were not quite responsive enough, and we recalled the other five to do a few more tricks. It was very difficult telling the owners that their dogs were not quite right for the part but we're pleased with the two we've chosen."
One of the dogs, Maggie, is owned by Holly Parry, co-director of Wolverhampton's Central Youth Theatre, and performed in public last year in a production commemorating the centenary of the end of the First World War.
The Wizard of Oz will run at the Grand between October 1 – 5, with two performances on the Wednesday and Saturday.
