They warn performers about working with children and animals, but the crowd-pleasing family musical Annie embraces it wholeheartedly – and sure enough the young orphans (led by Dakota Chanel on opening night) and the two dogs playing the friendly stray Sandy (Sandy and Daisy, who share the role) are scene-stealers.

Stephanie McNamara as Annie and Sandy as Sandy in Annie, Sydney, 2025. Photo © Daniel Boud

Personally, I find it a bit distracting to have real animals on stage and on opening night one of the gorgeous looking pooches seemed slightly anxious, scratching madly and looking to the wings for its trainer, but all around me people were oohing and aahing. Job done!

The classic 1977 musical by Thomas Meehan (book), Charles Strouse (music) and Martin Charnin (lyrics), based on the famous Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, is set in Depression-era New York in 1933.

Tough, eternally optimistic Annie dreams of finding her parents, who left her at the orphanage as a baby with a broken locket and a note saying they would return. Eleven years later she’s still waiting.

When Annie is chosen by Grace Farrell to spend Christmas with...