A LONG-AWAITED report says York Mystery Plays could be staged once again in the Museum Gardens - but not until 2006.

The in-depth report by expert Ben Pugh says none of his research suggests there are any insurmountable obstacles in the way of a full-scale outdoor production in the summer of 2006.

But the 30-page document also spells out what a complex task organisers would face in dealing with everything from fundraising, administration and insurance to archaeology, acoustics and accessibility.

Mr Pugh, of Tribeca (York) Ltd, who was event manager for the Millennium Mystery Plays in York Minster, was asked to carry out a feasibility study last autumn by the York Mystery Plays Association.

The association was set up after the Evening Press ran a campaign to keep the plays tradition alive in 2005, following news that they would not be staged this year - as should have happened under the traditional four-year cycle.

Mr Pugh says that, while he started out considering 2005 as a possible date, it became clear that to stage a production of this scale would require more time, mainly because there was no organisation already in place to take on the risk of starting the process.

The report lays out some of the administrative and organisational groundwork that would be needed.

Patronage should be established as soon as possible, and consideration should be given to whether a fundraiser should be employed.

Members of the plays association are expected to meet at the Evening Press headquarters next month to decide whether or not to press ahead with trying to revive the tradition.

Updated: 10:41 Tuesday, April 27, 2004