The Final Hours, which tells the story of the last few hours of Jesus' life, was written in 1990 and while the staging has changed the words, subject matter and music have stayed the same.

"From its simple beginnings in 1990 when a group of senior drama students at the then-St Martins in the Pines stepped up onto a small wooden platform this passion play has grown into a complex and technically challenging theatrical event," said Damascus College performing arts coordinator Andrew Seeary.

The play takes place every second year in various locations across the college's Mount Clear campus.

Amy Wells, who plays Mary, has a unique goal during the performance - to make the audience cry.

"This year I'm lucky enough to be cast as Mary and it's a great experience to be part of the 30^th anniversary production," she said.

"I'm going to make everyone cry every night. My scene is really sad because I'm holding my son (Jesus) and it's quite emotional so my aim is to make everyone cry as much as possible."

That scene takes place inside the school theatre.

"Once Jesus is taken off the cross, we come back in to the theatre and he's lying dead in his mother's arms ... then at the end of the piece there's no curtain call, no applause, the audience just leaves," Mr Seeary said.

Among the 40 students from year eight to 12 who are part of the production are 10 crew members dressed in black who help with lighting in some scenes.

"The performance goes all over our lovely property with about 80 per cent of it in bushland, against buildings or in rough terrain so we have to have all these complex lighting systems because in some locations there's no power.

"It's quite massive in its scale ... with some of our crew dressed in black sometimes in gum trees with torches."

Mr Seeary said The Final Hours originated from the school's desire to present something around the Easter period in a Catholic school.

"The production is the proclamation of our identity as a Catholic school by the dramatic retelling of one of the Gospel's central stories and at the same time actively serving our college motto to 'Live by the light of Christ', he said.

IN OTHER NEWS

The four 2021 shows are sold out with COVID-reduced audiences of 65 led through the journey of the play which involves a crucifixion scene with live fire.

"At the end you feel like you have done the climb and journey yourself," he said. "It is quite remarkable, as this year we celebrate the show's 30-year anniversary."

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