THE age-old question has finally been answered by an Oxford theatre, and it turns out you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

When the New Theatre last month announced it was putting on a production of Puccini’s four-act opera La bohème, it also put out an usual appeal – the cast was one member short.

Producer Ellen Kent needed a helpful hound to play the part of leading lady Musetta’s faithful friend.

But, despite the appeal going out in the Oxford Mail and a host of other local media, it fell on deaf ears.

So, on Monday this week, Ms Kent went on bended knee to her last hope: the theatre’s own marketing officer Steph Tye.

When the original appeal went out Ms Tye had joked that if the worst came to the worst, her 13-year-old springer spaniel Eddi could muddle through as Musetta’s mutt.

On Thursday, the day of the show, Ms Tye brought Eddi – who is 78 in human years – into the theatre for a last-minute walk-through.

Eddi had never been on stage before, and no one had any idea how she would behave.

That night the curtain went up and Olga Perrier, playing Musetta, walked Eddi out in front of the audience of hundreds.

Ms Tye even went on stage herself, as an extra in a yellow cape, to keep Eddi calm.

They needn’t have worried.

Ms Tye joked: “Apparently she was an absolute natural, so I’m now going to act as her agent.”