The Royal Shakespeare Company is paws-itively thrilled to announce casting for its upcoming summer production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona, directed by Joanna Bowman. Leading the pack is Lossi the dog, who takes on the role of Crab the dog; a professionally trained canine performer with impeccable stage manners and a nose for comedy.

Lossi follows in the pawprints of her aunty Mossup, the dog who famously stole the show as Crab in the RSC’s 2014 production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. She is also the great niece of Ria who performed at the RSC in 2004.

The nine-year-old lurcher’s routine consists of morning runs on Redcar beach, afternoon walks in the park and evenings reading her scripts and preparing for her roles alongside her acting family.

Lossi has always been Mossup’s understudy, but with Mossup now retired it’s Lossi’s time to take centre stage.

Crab is the loyal - and often comically unimpressed - companion of Launce, offering plenty of tail-wagging humour in this joyful 80-minute adaptation for all ages.

The production opens at The Other Place on Monday 4th August, with the press performance on Tuesday 12 August at 5pm.

The human cast includes Tom Babbage (Speed/Thurio), Darrell Brockis (The Duke/Outlaw), Fred Double (Outlaw), Aisha Goodman (Julia), Jonny Khan (Valentine), Stu McLoughlin (Launce/Eglamour/Outlaw), Siân Stephens (Sylvia), Katherine Toy (Antonia/Lucetta/Host/Outlaw), and Lance West (Proteus).

The creative team includes Set and Costume Designer, Francis O’Connor; Lighting Designer, Derek Anderson; Composer, John Patrick Elliott; Sound Designer, Khalil Madovi; Movement Director, Jennifer Jackson; Casting Director, Matthew Dewsbury CDG; and Dramaturg, Zoe Cooper.

Packed with romance, disguises, music, mayhem and a dog with serious stage presence, The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a fetching, tail-wagging romp that’s the perfect introduction to Shakespeare for families this summer.

Find out more about The Two Gentlemen of Verona here.

Darwin Escapes are sponsoring this production as the RSC’s Summer Theatre Sponsor.