HEROD And The Magi, the Friends of York Mystery Plays and Festival's companion piece to the York Millennium Mystery Plays, goes ahead next week thanks in no small part to the Evening Press.

Director Ray Alexander turned to his local newspaper when he urgently needed three kings, a flying angel, the Virgin Mary and a baby Jesus for his production.

His prayers were answered and he now has a full cast for the Goldsmiths' Play from the York Cycle of Mystery Plays, to be performed in Barley Hall, off Stonegate, from July 10 to 15 at 6.45pm nightly.

"John DeFrates had just returned from holiday and had missed earlier notices and messages, so he came on board as King III. Then, in my distress, Dave Parkinson came to the rescue and is playing King I," says Ray.

"I'm delighted with my Virgin Mary. Her name is Rachel Barber and she's a theatre studies graduate from the College of Ripon and York St John, and I think this is her debut performance.

"Rachel's characterisation epitomises Mary 'meek and mild', while at the same time she shows the strength of the woman who later will have to watch her son being crucified."

The lead role of Herod goes to Noel Stabler, cinema projectionist and amateur stage stalwart. "I was amazed that Noel wasn't cast in the Minster production of the Mystery Plays and so I was delighted when he agreed to play Herod for me."

In Ray's tongue-in-cheek words, Friends chairman Robert Ward has been "dragged out of obscurity" to take part. "He makes a very touching and sympathetic Joseph who is bringing out the truth of the man who was chosen to bring up God's son," says the director.

Other roles will be played by Charles Hunt, as King II; Christopher Hanson as Herod's Son; Lottie Alexander, Counsellor; Robin McIlroy, Soldier; Alisia Stabler, Messenger; Margaret Poole and Anne Parkinson, Courtiers. The designer is Mike Bowen; the musician, Paul Leigh.

Alexander's show will be a half-hour promenade performance, in which live medieval music features prominently as the players move between the Bethlehem stable in Barley Hall's timbered courtyard and Herod's Court in the medieval Great Hall.

Herod And The Magi, originally the Goldsmiths' Play, is one of the less familiar plays from the medieval York cycle, in which Herod discusses the portents of the new millennium with the Three Kings.

"Although we're sticking to the medieval text, this is a very lively play with one heck of a good diplomatic row between Herod and the Kings," says Ray. "So I'm thrilled to have some of York's heavyweight actors in my production, and I'm pleased about the newcomers too. I think the audiences will find this a very powerful and moving play."

Tickets for Herod And The Magi are available at £4, concessions £3, from the York Early Music Festival box office, tel 01904 632220. Please note, Monday's performance has sold out already, and prompt booking is recommended for the rest of the week.

u HOW will Rachel Johnson be celebrating her 21st birthday next Saturday? By performing the role of Noah's third daughter-in-law in Noah And The Flood in the York Millennium Mystery Plays. No doubt she will feel like singing in the rain.

Rachel, from Poppleton, who trained in drama at Harrogate College at Hornbeam Park, used to entertain the elderly and disabled for three years with her oriental dance troupe. Known as The Jasmin Girls, they raised money for the RSPCA. For the Millennium Mystery Plays, she is also the understudy for Mary the Virgin and Mary Magdalene, and being the responsible type, she is holding back her birthday party until July 29, a week after the Plays end.

u GREGORY Doran's production in York Minster uses only two recorded sound effects: the thunderclap for the start of Noah's flood and the cock crowing as disciple Peter denies Jesus thrice. All other sound effects are created by Richard Shephard's musicians or the cast.

u SHOULD you be wondering why the Millennium Mystery Plays features a model donkey with somewhat inflexible wheels, director Gregory Doran was inspired by a visit to the Cloisters Museum in New York. There he saw a medieval artefact, originally from a German church, of Christ seated on a donkey... on wheels.