Wanted: 20 actors with hairy feet

London: Wanted: 20 diminutive actors who can sing. Hairy feet are a distinct advantage.

Producers of a musical version of The Lord of the Rings are looking for candidates to play the hobbit heroes in the epic fantasy based on J R R Tolkien's classic.

The producers are reportedly looking for male and female actors and singers aged between 16-35 who must be under five feet seven inches (1.7 metre).

"Hairy toes and feet are a distinct advantage," a spokesman said on Tuesday.

The musical, which received its world premiere in Toronto but has been reworked after some damning reviews, is to open in London in June next year.