It is Boots, a 17-month-old Border collie and star of ‘‘Magic Tricks for Dogs’’ — an event debuting on Sunday as part of this year’s Dunedin Fringe Festival.
New Athenaeum Theatre general manager Ellie Swann described the ‘‘highly experimental’’ show as ‘‘slightly under an hour of mild chaos’’.
Up to 30 dogs would be allowed in the audience, in the company of ‘‘a leashed, well-behaved human’’, Ms Swann said.
Her dog, Boots, was well known around the theatre and had a bit of a following.
‘‘She loves meeting other dogs, which is going to be where some of the chaos is possibly going to ensue in the show,’’ she said.
‘‘People can bring their dogs and watch a show with a dog — we don’t know what’s going to happen.
‘‘She might just see her favourite people in the audience and lose her absolute mind.’’
She said the show was a celebration of the nearly one-year anniversary of leashed dogs being allowed in areas of Dunedin’s centre city.
The pair would regale their human-canine audience with stories about the history between people and dogs, famous dogs and magic shows.
There would be some audience participation and Boots would, ‘‘hopefully’’, follow some basic cues.
‘‘We’re looking at maybe some illusion and some sleight of hand.
‘‘I don’t think I will be getting to saw her in half, which was the original plan — we’ve got to just test that one a little bit.’’
Card tricks were also off the table.
‘‘She doesn’t have opposable thumbs so she’s not very good at holding them, but we’re working on it.’’
Ms Swann said it was really cool Boots was now allowed to walk around with her in the Octagon and hang out at The Craic.
Her dog was a theatre kid at heart.
‘‘She goes everywhere with me,’’ Ms Swann said.
‘‘She’s my little mate.’’
She hoped people would leave the show with a deepened appreciation for the dogs in their lives.
The festival starts on Thursday and will run until Sunday, March 22.
