BBC Leicester's Sarah Wale took her dog Kay to Leicester Haymarket Theatre to audition for the role of Toto in 'The Wizard of Oz.' But on the big night Kay was feeling a bit under the weather - or maybe it was stage fright! Listen to find out how Kay and the other Toto-wannabes got on at the audition...Read the background to Kay's quest to become a pup idol... The Munchkins and the citizens of Oz have already been cast, but now the theatre has launched a search for at least five dogs to play the 'lead' role of Toto, Dorothy's faithful canine companion. Listen as Sarah and her dog Kay begin their quest to make Kay the star of the Haymarket's Wizard of Oz...The four legged thespians will share the limelight with Helena Blackman, who was one of the finalists on the BBC's 'How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?'  | | The Haymarket's publicity for the show |
She is appearing as Dorothy in the role made famous by Judy Garland in the classic MGM movie. Also starring is Hot Stuff's Ceri Dupree as the Wicked Witch of the West. "A crucial member of the cast"The Haymarket's Artistic Director, Paul Kerryson, says : "A real Toto is a crucial member of the cast in The Wizard Oz. You can't have Dorothy without Toto. He is with her for most of the show. Experience is not necessary but any acting experience or the ability to do tricks would be a huge bonus. If people think they have a dog that fits the bill, bring them along to the open auditions." Pup IdolI was excited to hear about the 'Pup Idol' audition, as it's been named, as one of our pet dogs, Kay, is a dead ringer for the Toto the theatre has used in its publicity for the show. I wondered if she might make it as a 'dog star' and tread the boards. | "I think Kay would be terrified by the Wicked Witch's immortal line, "I'll get you my pretty - and your little dog too!"" | | Sarah Wale, BBC Radio Leicester Broadcast Assistant |
Kay is not a pure bred Cairn terrier, like the one in the film, in fact she is a cross between a Cairn and a Yorkshire terrier - you could describe her as a Corkie!! She's no spring chicken at 8 years old, which makes her middle-aged in dog years, but she's a real character. She's friendly, bright and, although she's not set 'paw' on stage before, she loves playing football and running around the park so there's life in the old dog yet! Pet HatesThe only thing that might pose a problem is that she's not fond of being picked up and carried around - she's not a touchy-feely kind of pooch. So I don't think she'd be happy being put in a basket and carried around by Dorothy. The other potential worry is that Kay is a bit of a wimp when it comes to loud noises - she doesn't like fireworks, motorbikes and has been known to jump if someone sneezes too loudly! So I think she'll need to go on a bit of an Oz 'boot camp' and have a bit more training before I take her along to the audition. I think she'd be terrified by the Wicked Witch's immortal line, "I'll get you my pretty - and your little dog too!" | 
