With their cast of colourful canines, Lynley Dodd’s Hairy Maclary books have garnered many fans the world over. Having secured the rights to perform them, Nonsenseroom Productions have been hard at work bringing the eponymous scruffy mutt and his friends to life.

‘We were attracted by the mischief that the characters get up to and their individual personalities,’ says artistic director Bruce Strachan. ‘Children really engage with the dogs and we hope we can bring that fun from the page onto the stage.’

Of Dodd’s original 19 books, the company has selected five for the show, including Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy and Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack. ‘We stick quite faithfully to the books,’ says Strachan, ‘and all the characters except Zachary Quack are played by actors. We have some fantastic costumes which really make the dogs larger than life!’

Assembly Rooms, 623 3030, 7-29 Aug, 10.40am, £9 (£7). Previews 5 & 6 Aug, 10.40am, £5.