THE cast of this year's unique York Millennium Mystery Plays are making final preparations for their sell-out series of performances.

Tickets are completely sold out for all 28 performances, which run until July 22, and are taking place in York Minster for the first time as part of the Dean and Chapter of York's Millennium gift to the city.

Tthe Duke of York, who is patron of the Plays, will attend tonight's performance.

He will arrive by car accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Lord Crathorne, at the South Transept steps of the Minster.

There he will be presented to the City of York civic party and the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, the Hon Gerald Turton and Mrs Alexandra Turton. The Lord Lieutenant also will present the Dean of York, the Very Reverend Raymond Furnell, the chairman of the Mystery Plays board, Mrs Sherril Furnell and the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope.

The production by Royal Shakespeare Company associate director Gregory Doran features Newcastle-born City Central star Ray Stevenson as Jesus.

Other cast members include John M Hall as God, Rory Mulvihill as Lucifer, Carl Cockroft as Adam and a soldier at the Cross, Esther Ruth Elliott as Eve, Alan Booty as Abraham, Arnold Durham as Noah, Ruth Ford as Mrs Noah, Tom Davey as Gabriel, Austin Barnett as John the Baptist, Ged Murray as Joseph, Frances Marshall as Mary the Virgin, Julie Craggs as Mary Mother of Christ, Frank Higgins as Annas, Samuel Valentine as Caiaphas, Tim Holman as Herod, Richard Vergette as Pilate, John Roden as Beelzebub and Simeon, Andrew Storey as Judas, and Barry Atkinson and Val Gallagher as soldiers at the Cross.

As well as other cast members the production relies on choristers, musicians, and a big "back room" team.

The best chance of getting a seat for the Plays is now waiting for daily returns of unwanted tickets, but there will be a chance to catch a flavour of them on television, with BBC2 screening The Creation tonight at 7.30pm, and Tyne Tees television showing A Millennium Mystery on July 6, also at 7.30pm.