BLONDE-haired, blue-eyed Maisy Jones will be donning the iconic ginger wig as she lands her dream role of Annie.

Maisy auditioned along with 11 other girls aged eight to 14, in the WODYS-produced show which will appear at The Swan Theatre in August.

The 13-year-old Tudor Grange Academy student was amazed and overjoyed when she got the role.

She said: "It is a great opportunity for me."

Her mother, Kerry, said Maisy has watched Annie ever since she was a little girl and knew all the songs and dialogue and had been to see it at Malvern.

Annie is a feel-good musical for all the family about an orphan determined to find her parents, who abandoned her on the doorstep of a New York city orphanage run by the embittered Miss Hannigan.

Annie brings laughter to all she meets and charms the billionaire she calls Daddy Warbucks.

Mrs Jones said: "Maisy is really excited at getting the part.

"It is going to be an amazing and busy year for her, full of opportunities, and I am really pleased for her.

"She dances at Harlequin Stage School which has been chosen to represent England in the Dance World Cup in Romania this summer.

"Maisy is one of the 80 dancers going and she is dancing in trios, quartets and groups.

"Besides that she is representing the dance school at the All England finals in London, then, of course, there is school work."

Maisy loves musical theatre which is one of the dance genres she studies at Harlequin where she has been since the age of four.

She has already done two shows with WODYS - Footloose and Me and My Girl - and has just finished playing the part of one of the Babes in Kays Theatre Group's panto.

Maisy lives in Claines, Worcester and has a brother, Harry, who is studying song writing at Bristol University.

It is Maisy's ambition to go to London to study musical theatre and dance, following in the footsteps of her idol, former WODY Dawn Williams who is currently playing Rumpleteazer in Andrew Lloyd Webber's CATS.

Producer David Humphries said: "Once again, the competition for principal parts was high with 12 youngsters auditioning for Annie alone.

"The dedication, commitment and bravery shown at auditions for people so young never ceases to amaze me.

"I am looking forward to working with Maisy and the rest of the very talented cast of Annie.

"I expect WODYS to pull off a fantastic show and give our audiences a truly enjoyable theatre experience, once again."

Mr Humphries now has eight canines who have been entered to audition for the part of Sandy, the dog that little orphan Annie befriends when she runs away from the orphanage.

Rehearsals for Annie are already well underway with a cast of 62 eight to 18 year-olds.

It will run from from Tuesday, August 4 to Saturday, August 8 and tickets are available from Worcester Live box office, Huntingdon Hall, CrownGate, Worcester or by calling 01905 611427.