A £5,000 reward and six eggs were today offered for the safe return of the star of a West End show - a kidnapped duck.

Fowl play is suspected after Daphne vanished at the end of a preview performance of Kenneth Branagh's new comedy Ducktastic!.

Police are studying CCTV footage which shows a man exiting the stage door of the Albery Theatre in Covent Garden, on Monday night, with the seven month-old duck under his arm.

As might might be guessed from the show's name, Daphne, a rare and elegant Indian runner duck, is the leading light. She is meant to open the show by waddling down a flight of stairs on to the stage and performing a few tricks before taking a bow.

Director and Oscar winner Kenneth Branagh spent 18 hours on Tuesday training Daphne's understudy, Sabre, to play the part.

Producer David Pugh said: "Ken and I are offering a reward of £5,000 and half a dozen duck eggs - getting Daphne back is vital. "Ken spent 18 hours training up Sabre yesterday and to be honest I'm still shitting myself. "Up till now we have had no trouble with the ducks, we have had more trouble with the actors who are jealous that the ducks have the number one dressing room.

"Daphne was stolen at 10.45pm on Monday when the cast were busy at a question and answer session at the preview. "CCTV shows someone walking in through the stage door and then carrying Daphne off in her box. The box was found 500 yards away by the NCP carpark on Bedford Row. I think they must have known what they were looking for.

"We don't know if it was animal rights protesters or a prank. We were in discussions with Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) who were concerned about the safety of the ducks. "But when they saw how we treated them they were happy and police have ruled them out of the enquiries. I think it's probably a prankster."

By Helen Minski and Stephanie Condron

She has been in constant training for the last eight months in preparation for her starring role in tonight's opening performance of the West End's latest show.

But last night, performing duck Daphne was missing presumed stolen as police announced they were investigating reports of a robbery.

Thieves are thought to have crept into the Albery Theatre in London's Drury Lane and taken Daphne who was in her cage following Monday night's preview performance of the Kenneth Branagh comedy 'Ducktastic!'

At the time of the theft between 10.45pm and 11pm some 400 people were in the theatre enjoying a Question and Answer session with Branagh about the intricacies of putting on a show which boasts a flock of 40 ducks.

Daphne was due to open the show by descending a flight of stairs on to the stage and performing some tricks before giving the audience a bow. But last night mystery surrounded her whereabouts after a woman found her empty cage in nearby Covent Garden.

The play follows the antics of two under-achieving magicians played by Hamish McColl and Sean Foley.

Producer David Pugh said: "At the moment we are working with an understudy called Sabre. Kenneth Branagh has been working today with the duck trainer."

The birds have been trained for the show by animal trainer Dave Souza, who also worked on the Harry Potter films. He taught the ducks their parts using a system of repetition and reward.

Initially, the show's producers thought that animal rights activists may have been behind the theft. But they have been reassured by police that is not suspected.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We are investigating a burglary at the Albery Theatre. A duck in its cage was taken from within the theatre.

By Valentine Low

It is almost certainly the first time in West End history that a leading player has been abducted on the eve of preview night. But then again, it is probably the first time that the star of the show has been a duck.

Daphne the duck vanished from the stage door of the Albery Theatre in St Martin's Lane on Monday. A seven-month-old Indian runner - a breed noted for its elegant, swan-like neck and upright posture - she was waiting in her travel case to be returned to her lodgings at a farm near Uxbridge when she was stolen during a pre- opening night event. Her empty box was found nearby later the same evening and returned to the theatre by a member of the public - but there has been no sign of her.

Daphne is one of the stars of 'Ducktastic!', which follows two under-achieving magicians who create a make-or-break routine inspired by Las Vegas conjurors Siegfried and Roy - using white ducks instead of Siberian white tigers. She is one of 40 ducks in the play, which is directed by Kenneth Branagh and stars Hamish McColl and Sean Foley, who won an Olivier award for their parts in The Play What I Wrote.

Numerous theories about the disappearance were being explored today as Daphne's understudy Sabre prepared herself for the lead role.

Had she been freed by animal rights activists? Worse, was she being prepared to top the bill at a nearby dinner table, playing alongside some roast potatoes and a serving of orange sauce?

Or perhaps more likely, is it all a cynical ploy to boost publicity for the play? Is Max Clifford at this very moment playing off rival bids for her sensational story from Duck Breeders' Gazette and Quack!, the celebrity poultry weekly?

David Pugh, producer of the show, suspects foul play. "We have had concerns about animal rights but it could also just have been a prank," said Mr Pugh, adding ominously: "It is also freshers' week."

Mr Pugh has other worries, too. "The cost of training animals is phenomenal and Daphne was the star of the show. It opens with her walking down a flight of stairs and taking a bow. We have a duck to cover for her but it is a lot of training."

Mr Pugh has reported the theft at Charing Cross police station. "They were very helpful," he said. "You can imagine that when you go to a police station late at night and say you want to report a stolen duck that they might think you'd had a drink."

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We are aware of this theft and it is being investigated." So far the police have few clues to go on. No ransom demand has been found, let alone any useful evidence such as webprints.

Questions were being asked about People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), who had raised concerns about the ducks' treatment, but Mr Pugh said he had satisfied the pressure group that the ducks were not being abused.

Daphne and her fellow duck stars were prepared for the show by Dave Souza of trainers Birds and Animals UK, who taught them their parts using a complex system of repetition and reward. Mr Souza also coached the squirrels that stole the show from Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's film Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.

A Peta spokesman said: "While Peta believes that animals shouldn't be put through the terrifying ordeal of being on stage, the 'Ducktastic!' ducks were all set to retire to sanctuaries when the show finished so this theft is just as surprising to us as it must be to David Pugh and Kenneth Branagh. "We only hope that the person who has the duck knows how sensitive Indian runner ducks are, appreciates that they don't do well in confinement and looks after her needs."