A PERFECT performing pup aced an audition to star in a travelling production of John Steinbeck's classic Of Mice and Men.

The company behind the play – Touring Consortium Theatre Company and Birmingham Repertory Theatre – has been featuring a different dog in every city after their regular star sadly died.

Having sent out a casting call for Oxford, black Labrador Suga bagged the role after impressing the judges.

And given eight-year-old Suga's owner, Elena Nunneley, is a dog trainer, it should not be hard for the pooch to take on the role of a 'working dog'.

The 31-year-old mother-of-one, who owns 12 dogs in total, said: "I actually decided to take two dogs along the audition: Suga and my German Shepherd called Tilda.

"When we got there, we were asked to take the dogs out individually and get them to sit so the producer could greet them and then they were walked around on a lead.

"We then left them alone in the room with the producer so he could see how they interacted without their owner."

Mrs Nunneley, from Banbury, said unfortunately her German Shepherd was not right for the role because she was far too happy and constantly wagging her tail, which was not in keeping the the role of an old, working dog.

The criteria was in keeping with the story, which sees two displaced migrant ranch workers moving from place to place in California in search of a new job opportunities during the Great Depression in America.

But Suga did not put a foot wrong and Mrs Nunneley said she could not be prouder of her dog's success.

She said: "I'm really proud of my dogs because, as a dog trainer, it's great to know they were so well-behaved when I left the room and that all my hard work paid off.

"I'm also very excited for them to be part of the performance – it all feels very glamorous."

Producer Matthew Gale said a fantastic quality of dogs turned up for the audition on Monday, making the final decision difficult to make.

He said: "It's always a hard day because when you do turn someone's dog down it's like you've taken their Christmas present away from them.

"But the dog we chose, Suga, was of a lovely, placid nature and the fact that its owner is a dog trainer makes it even better.

"Suga is absolutely perfect for the role in terms of looks and physicality and I'm looking forward to working with her."

For tickets to the performance, which runs from May 10 to 14 at Oxford Playhouse, visit oxfordplayhouse.com