Touring opera production seeks stagestruck dog

The Chisinau National Opera and Philharmonic Orchestra’s autumn tour comes to Richmond this month with a cast of international soloists, but there is one role still to be cast: that of Musetta's dog in Poochini, sorry, Puccini's La Boheme.

Producer and director Ellen Kent has launched a local search to find the perfect onstage canine companion for the flighty soprano character.

Kent commented "When we last did La Boheme and asked local people to volunteer their pets it was a huge success. We even used a rescue dog once and found him dozens of new owners! We’re a nation of animal lovers after all. I’m sure there is plenty of doggie talent out there."

Kent is looking for small, well behaved dogs who can be accompanied by their owners onstage each night in costume. If your doggy diva has what it takes, apply to Jules Bath jules@ellenkent.co.uk. Please include your contact number and address as well as the breed, height, weight, age and name of your dog. If you are successful, you will be contacted a week before the performance.

The tour also includes the operas Aida and Nabucco, and features international soloists sopranos Elena Dee and Ecaterina Danu, and tenors Sorin Lupu and Nicolae Busuio. The operas are performed in Italian with English surtitles. The casting notice doesn't specify whether an understanding of Italian is a requirement for the successful canine, but they do have to live in the Richmond area.

La boheme plays at Richmond Theatre on 23 November 2017 with Nabucco on 24 November and Aida on 25 November 2017. The tour continues.