T hese are significant days for dogs on stage, with a labradoodle called Barney making a significant contribution to Shakespeare in Love (reviewed in Weekend today) and another, lurcher Mossup, stealing every scene she’s in in the RSC’s new production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Like the heroine of Two Gentlemen, who disguises herself as a man, Mossup is a cross-dresser (if the red handkerchief at her neck could be called dress). The part she plays is that of male dog Crab, described by his owner, the comic servant Launce, as “the sourest-natured dog that lives”.

This in no way describes the wonderfully affectionate Mossup, according to her owner and manager Liz Thornton, boss of the agency A1 Animals, based in Rugby. I last spoke to Liz ten years ago about the lurcher Ria, who played Crab in Stratford’s last Two Gentlemen. This fine animal, who died two years ago, was not related to Mossup, whose pedigree — hardly the right word! — is a blend of deerhound, saluki, collie and Staffordshire bull terrier.

Liz or partner Alan Thomson accompanies Mossup to Stratford for every performance, arriving at 6.30pm and remaining till after 10pm for her curtain call when — as on Press night — she is cheered to the rafters.

Mossup takes all the acclaim in her stride because, at only four, she is already an experienced canine thespian.

As her biography in the programme points out, her stage appearances include a role in Legally Blonde at the Royal Conservatoire in Glasgow. She has also been in the movie The Invisible Woman and in Mike Leigh’s new film, Mr Turner, a biopic about the artist JMW Turner, starring Timothy Spall. Many will know her from the ‘Easter bunny’ advertisement for the supermarket chain Aldi.