Should you drive into the Co Laois town of Ballylinan and look for a tankful of petrol, you are likely these days to have the job done by a Roman soldier.
Call into the local supermarket and you will find that the owner is just one of the two "Jesus Christs" currently inhabiting the town. The farmer driving his tractor down the main street is locally known as Judas. The retired garda has to carry the burden of Herod, and down the road, one of the most formidable and misunderstood women in world history, Mary Magdalen, can be seen busily supervising a FAS work crew.
The Passion Play project is a massive undertaking in the town, which is a few miles south of Athy in the parish of Arles. It has involved up to 200 of the town's population of 500 since the beginning of February, when rehearsals started.
But this is not a new venture for Ballylinan. It had its roots in a visit about 10 years ago by some members of the local amateur dramatic society to the Austrian town of Oberammergau, where the most famous re-creation of the Passion has been performed for centuries.
The people of Oberammergau re-enact the Passion every 10 years as a form of thanksgiving for their delivery from a plague which swept the rest of Europe but left them untouched.
According to Anna May McHugh, president of the local organising committee, the Ballylinan group brought the script back with them.
"We decided to put on the play for the first time in 1992, and we did it again in 1993. But because it was such an undertaking, we took the decision to stage it in the year 2000 and we are now delivering on that promise," she said.
Anna May - who is better known as the managing director of the National Ploughing Association - said it had been decided major parts would be held by two people.
"The part of Jesus, for instance, is very intense and for that reason we asked two people, Arnold Wall, who runs the local supermarket, and Declan Mulhaire, who is a health inspector for the Midland Health Board, to take on the part.
"We also have two Marys. Mary Brennan works here with us in the NPA and Angela Brennan is a healthcare worker in the village who looks after children."
She said the part of Judas has been played before by local farmer P. J. Hickey, whom she described as a natural actor. Another farmer, Tony Lacy, plays the part of Simon Peter.
According to Mary Brennan, who has played the part of the mother of Jesus twice before, the staging of the story is a very emotional event for all who take part. "It takes three hours and people really get into the part. I have seen grown men cry genuine tears by the end of the night. It is an incredible feeling to be involved," she said.
Mary said that the Laois group has only slightly shortened the Oberammergau script which is very faithful to the Gospel of St John. "In Austria the cast use readings from the Old Testament, but we do not. So it shortens the events, which run from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection, marginally," she said.
Anna May said it was very interesting to watch the community get drawn into the event as Easter approaches. "All the men taking part are growing beards and letting their hair grow long. Some of their wives are not too happy about that, but then a lot of the wives are involved in the play too."
Down in the local hall, which has recently been extended to accommodate the event, the wardrobe mistress, Bernie Dunne, was preparing costumes with the help of Brigid Banbrick and Kathleen Leonard. The Material World group gave them costumes at cost price. Supervising the painting of the new extension, Teresa Dunne, who has played the part of Mary Magdalen in the previous two pageants, said she fought hard to retain the part.
"I got slagged a lot at the beginning and they still slag me. But I really enjoyed doing the part, which is a very important one in the story.
"There is a great sense of involvement by all the community and we are getting help from everywhere. One of my daughters is playing the part of an angel and my eldest girl will be down from college in Dublin to work behind stage," she said.
In previous productions she had grown her hair long, but this time she will get a wig to deal with the washing of the feet of Jesus.
Another three-time veteran of the play is Martin Hyland's donkey, which is brought on stage to carry Jesus into Jerusalem. Later this week, the donkey will start taking part in rehearsals. The event is being staged with the help of a grant of £1,500 from the National Millennium Committee. The first production will be on Sunday, April 9th, and it will be staged again on April 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 19th and 21st at 8 p.m.
Early booking is advised, as seats are limited. For further information call 0507-25125 before 6 p.m.