Dame Judi to be asked to promote Mystery Plays

DAME Judi Dench will be asked for her support to bring the first full-scale production of York's world famous Mystery Plays to the city's Museum Gardens in more than two decades.

York-born Dame Judi was involved in the first three productions in the gardens when the theatrical events were revived in the 1950s before embarking on an illustrious career in theatre, film and television.

Approaches are now due to be made to the Oscar-winning actress to help promote the events in 2012, when the Museum Gardens are planned to

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be used as a venue for a major production for the first time since

1988.

The production is expected to feature a stellar cast of professional actors as well as hundreds of amateur performers from the city.

York Council's leader Andrew Waller said: "Obviously Dame Judi is an internationally recognised artist now but the Mystery Plays are nonetheless very close to her heart.

"An approach will be made to see if she is willing to get involved at some level.

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"The Mystery Plays provide a chance for the city's residents to become involved in an event which is vital to showing the city as a cultural destination, and the 2012 performances will be no different."

The Mystery Plays were first performed in the 14th century. They were abandoned during the Reformation but revived in 1951 for the Festival of Britain and were then staged regularly until the early 1990s on a fixed stage.

The Guilds of York became involved in 1994 and reclaimed the plays' original heritage by staging them on wagons which wind their

way through the city's streets.

They are now held every four years and the York Guilds and Companies will stage performances on wagons on July 11 and 18.

The 2012 plays are expected to cost about 1m to produce, and York Council's executive is due to allocate 100,000 to help fund the 2012 production when it meets on Tuesday next week.

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