Chance to star in village plays (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Chance to star in village plays

TV actor Chris Jury is on the look out for budding amateur actors this weekend, when he holds auditions for Blockley's new mystery plays.

Chris, who is best remembered for playing Ian McShane's sidekick, Eric Catchpole, in the BBC drama Lovejoy, is looking for more than 70 people to take part in the latest Blockley Millennium Mystery Plays 2004, which will be performed later this year.

The actor, who lives in Blockley and is a professional director on shows such as Eastenders and Coronation Street, has fond memories of the last Blockley mystery plays in 1999.

"The last one I did was the most wonderful thing I have ever been involved in," he said. "We all enjoyed it so much we wanted to do it again."

The new plays tackle the Old Testament, including the story of Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark and David and Goliath.

The auditions are in the Jubilee Hall, Blockley this Sunday from 2.30pm to 5.30pm.

"There will also be a few workshop sessions but it is going to be a very relaxed, informal event," said Chris, who will be directing.

The new plays will be an open-air production in Churchill Close Park, with five performances from Tuesday, June 15 until Saturday, June 19.

In addition, a "festival" of village events will take place throughout the week of the production culminating on the Saturday afternoon with a concert by The Croydon SDA Gospel choir, one of the leading gospel choirs in the UK.

"This is a very ambitious production and the current budget is well over £18,000," said Chris.

"The support in the village and the surrounding area has been awe-inspiring and our fundraising campaign has raised more than £18,000 since the end of June - which is extraordinary for a small Cotswold village."

Chris said all the heads of department are professionals but stressed it is a "community project" which needs a lot of local people.

Anyone interested in taking part should go along to the auditions this Sunday.