YORK Minster lost almost £600,000 as a result of staging the Mystery Plays last year.

No-one should be too critical of that. Staging the plays isn’t all about making money. The plays are a part of York’s heritage, and it is right that the Minster should stage them every now and then.

But part of the loss from last year’s production has been put down to a failure to sell enough tickets. Questions can legitimately be asked, therefore, about the prices charged. Perhaps lessons can be learned for when the Minster next decides to tackle the plays.