THE passionate and dramatic climatic opera Carmen is coming to Portsmouth on Thursday, October 1 1st October.

But there’s still one special part to be cast...

On Wednesday, September 9, at 11am, the Kings Theatre will be holding auditions to cast this last part.

But before you look out your flamenco skirt or dust off your toreador hat, this is an audition for an artiste of the four-legged kind!

In a bid to bring a genuine feeling of Spain to the production, award-winning opera director/producer Ellen Kent is looking for a donkey to appear in the Southsea performance of the famous opera.

Short-listed for the auditions are Rusty and Ollie from Hayling Island Donkeys who will be hot to trot for the coveted place!

The successful donkey will tread the boards alongside international stars, a celebrated chorus and full orchestra, appearing in both the market scene in Act One and in Act Three to carry the smugglers’ goods through the mountains.

Ellen said: “Incorporating a donkey into the production lends it a real taste of Spain. My mother used to run the equivalent of the RSPCA in Spain when I was growing up and the farm was full of 30 to 40 donkeys, the same number of dogs and even more cats.

“We used to travel miles across the countryside to festivals when they were planning to ill use a donkey. We’d buy the donkey off them and run – often chased by villagers. There was never a dull moment.

“The animals were always my mother’s top priority. It’s a tribute to her really that I use donkeys in the show – she would have been delighted and the audience always love it!”

The Kings Theatre have agreed for the bucket collection at the end of the evening to be donated to Donkey Welfare.

Carmen; the story of the downfall of soldier Don Jose who is seduced by the fiery gypsy Carmen, is set against the back drop of the bullring. Abandoning both his childhood sweetheart and his military career, Jose pursues Carmen but loses her to the glamorous bullfighter Escamillo. In true tragic operatic fashion, Jose can’t bear to be without Carmen and stabs her in a jealous rage.

Carmen is sung in French with English surtitles. Tickets: 02392 828282.