The play is the creation of Michael Sheen and will be performed by National Theatre Wales and Wildworks, together with Sheen and a cast of 1,000 local people.

The Passion will be played out in real time from Good Friday to Easter Sunday, beginning and ending on Aberavon beach.

The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said the three-day play portrays a reality which changes lives.

Sheen’s story of a missing teacher has echoes of the life of Jesus Christ and church members will be closely involved as they prepare for Easter.

As a sign of prayer, Sheen is joining parishioners at St Mary’s Church on Palm Sunday to light candles and the church will be open for prayer and refreshments all day on April 23 while the drama unfolds just outside the churchyard.

One of the parishioners lighting candles will be Alan Davies who took part in the Margam Passion Play, “Behold the Man”, which inspired Sheen to conceive The Passion.

In a message to parishioners which will be read out at the 6pm service on Sunday, Morgan praises the production and says all people need the strength of the salvation story.

He says, “The passion story is the most powerful story in the Christian Gospel.

"It shows us that in and through Jesus God loves his world with such passionate intensity that he becomes part of it and is willing to die it.

"In and through Jesus, we are assured that whatever we face God is alongside us, enduring it with us."

Canon Nigel Cahill, Rector of Aberavon, will be handing out 500 free copies of St Luke’s Gospel to visitors during the performance.

He said, “The story that is unfolding on our streets in the next week will mirror that of Jesus Christ, and it comes at a time when Christians throughout the world will be remembering the great themes of betrayal, sacrifice and love.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for us to do what we are here to do: worship God and pray for people.”