As the 12 groups begin their final preparations for the York Mystery Plays, another very special community group is preparing to make a 2,600 mile round trip to take part in the celebrations.

The Associazione Culturale from Orsogna, a small town in the Abruzzo region in the shadow of the Majella mountains will be bringing a selection of their very own Mystery Plays, the ‘Talami’ to Dean’s Park as a free event on Saturday 19th July between 3pm & 4pm.

Like the York Mystery Plays, the Talami are created and presented by a group of largely professional women and men with a desire to keep alive the old traditions of Easter processions which are very particular to Orsogna.

The award winning Talami are traditionally held on Easter Monday in honour of ‘Our Lady of the Refuge’ and are tableaux rather than plays. Very like the four yearly Mystery Plays, while the biblical stories represented themselves are timeless, the themes change to reflect the experiences of local people. For example, the past two years’ performances have reflected experiences following the earthquakes in Aquila.

As with the Waggon plays, several stories are told to create a theme with the episodes moving through the streets on waggons. This is a huge community event and the structure of the organisation and performance style bears many similarities with the waggon plays.

This cultural exchange began in 2009 when the The Associazione Culturale contacted York Festival Trust looking to promote their region through cultural and artistic exchange. This has led to yearly exchange visits including in 2011, members of York Guilds taking part in the Italian performances and then in 2012 the Company of Butchers and St Chads took the Cruxifixion waggon to perform in Orsogna, Italy.

Roger Lee, Chair of York Festival Trust said today: ‘Taking our waggon overland to Italy in 2012 was a major undertaking but, in terms of cultural exchange, an amazing experience. It was interesting to see how the 2000 strong audience responded to the performance; a mixture of devotion and penance not overtly encountered in British audiences.

‘We are delighted that the Italian Talami have been able to make the reciprocal visit to York. The Talami show the difference a relatively small organisation can make in its own community, performing as much for themselves and for the good of local people as for the cultural tourism it attracts to the region. This very much reflects the outlook of York Festival Trust in its approach to the Mystery Plays. The Talami are the distillation of community drama and it's a great honour to share this experience with them here in York this summer’

This is the first time these Italian tableaux have been seen outside Italy.

The Italian Talami will be in Dean’s Park on Saturday 19th July between 3pm and 4pm, this is a free drop in event. Further information on the Talami and other Festival events and the 2014 Mystery Plays, including ticket prices and booking information is available at www.yorkmysteryplays.co.uk.

York Mystery Plays will be performed in York on Sundays 13th and 20th July 2014. Offering a truly unique experience for local and visitor alike, watch one or watch them all, bring a picnic and sit on the grass or buy a ticket and sit in comfort.

Tickets are available from www.yorkmysteryplays.co.uk there are no booking fees online. Or phone 0333 666 3366, there is a £1.50 admin fee on the phone. Or in person at the Merchant Adventurers Hall, Fossgate, York from 10am – 4pm weekdays.