AUDITIONS begin on Monday for In Fog And Falling Snow, York Theatre Royal’s 2015 community play at the National Railway Museum.

Building on the momentum of the 2012 York Mystery Plays in the Museum Gardens and Blood + Chocolate on the streets of York in 2013, the third script by York playwright Mike Kenny will be staged this summer, this time among the NRM’s collections and in a purpose-built theatre tent from June 26 to July 11.

Co-written by Kenny and fellow York playwright Bridget Foreman, the play will look at the importance of the railways to York and its citizens over the past 200 years in a collaboration between the Theatre Royal, the NRM, Pilot Theatre and the University of York.

The project was launched at the Leeman Road museum last October, since when more than 400 people have signed up online.

Auditions for the acting and ensemble roles will take place at the NRM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and the following Monday and Tuesday, with workshops being held at 6.30pm and 7.45pm.

The Theatre Royal expects around 300 people to attend the auditions, which will take place in groups of 30 or 40 and will feature text work, games and improvisations.

Among those who have performed in the past shows is Ian Giles, who appeared in 2011’s Two Planks And A Passion and later the Mystery Plays and Blood + Chocolate. “It’s the ultimate in teamwork. You’re working with 200 like-minded individuals with another 300 or so backstage and the camaraderie between everyone is fantastic,” he says.

Past projects have struggled to find enough 16 to 30-year-old male cast members, so the Theatre Royal is urging people to tell friends, family and colleagues about the show.

To express an interest, visit yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Once signed up, you need to phone 01904 715461 to book an audition.