Ben Kingsley plays Moses as an anti-Heston.

"When you come back, let's play Moses and Pharaoh."

Heston researches his roles assiduously, memorizing Old Testament passages to play Moses and reading all Michelangelo's letters to play him.

Why play Moses?

Now it must be said at the outset that the man who played Moses on film has a sterling civil-rights history.

"If you play Moses, then you can be President," says Mr. Bono.

Kurt Kasznar played Moses.

In 1777 he played Moses in The School for Scandal, which came to be the role with which he was most associated.

Another play by Fry, The Firstborn, was set in Biblical Egypt, with Anthony Quayle playing Moses.

"Too bad he didn't play Moses or Abraham Lincoln," she said.