Smudge the labrador has made her theatrical debut at AMTC's Annie, which opened at the Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre on Friday night.

She plays 'Sandy' - a stray dog who becomes a loyal companion to Annie the orphan.

While she has only just started a new career in acting, this isn't Smudge's first foray into the working world.

As a puppy she was training to become a guide dog, but a medical examination picked up a condition which would potentially cause blindness.

Now nine years old, she has continued to live with her local family and learn plenty of new tricks - which have come in handy as a canine actor.

Smudge's owner and handler Jamie Parker said her guide dog training had prepared her well for working in the busy theatre.

"She's got a brilliant temperament. When she was training as a guide dog, we were able to take her into places like bowling clubs and cricket presentations, and she was always pretty settled," he said.

"So we knew when we came into this environment she would be pretty good. In fact, she hasn't been fazed by much."

During rehearsals and between scenes, Smudge has been known to take a nap in the wings.

Smudge follows in the footsteps of her human family members, who have been part of AMTC for several years.

Mr Parker said he volunteered Smudge for the role immediately after learning the company was performing Annie.

"Myself, my mum, and my sister have all been involved in the shows. When we heard that we're doing Annie, we just threw it out there: 'do you need a dog trained for it'," he said.

"The director said yes, and here we are."

Opening is done and dusted, but there are still five more shows on the bill for this run of Annie.

The dates and times are:

Tickets are available from Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre, both online and at the box office.