High-flying theatre group Skinning The Cat have landed a job at the very top.

For the group have gained a sought-after job performing in the Millennium Dome.

The pioneering Bradford-based company travelled to London yesterday to begin the first of four week-long stints at the controversial attraction.

Skinning The Cat, who are based in Woolston House in Tetley Street, Bradford, are an aerial theatre group which uses trapeze skills.

Partners Becky Truman and Helen Fagelman said they were delighted to have been asked to perform at the Dome.

"It's really exciting. Obviously it's a chance for us to perform on a big stage to a lot of people," said Becky.

"We've been down to the Dome, and the arena where the main show is performed is absolutely enormous."

Skinning The Cat were due to give three performances a day of their show Clair de Lune from today until Thursday. The deal is also for four further week-long spells between now and June.

Clair de Lune features three performers and tells the story of two lunar creatures crash-landing on Earth. The 20-minute show takes place on a specially-designed wheeled rig which is five metres high.

Helen said: "They wanted this show because they have already got their own aerial show at the Dome but they needed something else that could go on and off again. Our rig is ideal because it can be wheeled in and out and moved around the arena."

Skinning The Cat have been going for 12 years and were the first company in Britain to specialise in aerial theatre. Bradford audiences will have a chance to see Clair de Lune when it is performed at Bradford Festival on June 3.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.