WHEN director Gill Evans told her cast to break a leg she did not expect to be taken literally.

But now, only a fortnight away from putting on a stage show which will incliude energetic numbers from shows like Chicago and Thoroughly Modern Millie, she has found to her horror that four of her cast are "in casts" - and on crutches.

Gill and her sister, Jan Phillips, are producing and directing One Night Of Variety, a show being put on by St Andrew's New Earswick Church Lads and Girls Brigade at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York on April 19.

Rehearsals for the variety show have been in full swing since November, and all the 30 youngsters, aged between five and 18, who are taking part have poured their heart and soul into it.

But it now appears that some of them have gone that little bit further - and ended up in the casualty department.

The run of bad luck started when Jan's 18-year-old daughter Ruth - who was due to perform a dance duet from the hit musical Chicago - badly sprained her ankle during rehearsals.

This was followed by 16-year-old Sean Garnett acquiring a fractured ankle while playing football at school. Worries that bad luck always comes in threes were soon proved well-founded when a third cast member, 18-year-old Michael Ollis, phoned to say he had also injured his ankle.

Both the boys had been set to play a key role in a spoof of Thoroughly Modern Millie, which Gill said she was now rethinking.

Just when she thought her luck could not possibly get any worse, a fourth cast member, 17-year-old Danny Rogers, also injured himself at football practice, and was left hobbling around on crutches.

Gill said: "I'm now feeling really quite desperate. It's a producer's nightmare really.

"At the time when there should be prop-making and costume-making going on, this happens."

But despite their run of bad luck, Gill and Jan have vowed the show must go on, and are frantically selling tickets for the one night only performance, which starts at 7.30pm.

Tickets, priced £6 for adults and £4.50 for concessions, are available by phoning York 628121 or 620383.

Katie Davey, 14, who is playing a mermaid in the show, needed four stitches after she was hit in the face by a Frisbee at the weekend, leaving her sporting a black eye.

Updated: 10:07 Tuesday, April 12, 2005