Cloideryn Northern Theatre Group is preparing to launch their musical telling the story of the Ramsey-built ship Star of India.

Performances take place at St Paul’s Hall in Ramsey over two weekends later this month, with special guests including Dr Ray Ashley, president of the museum in San Diego where the ship is the main attraction.

Cloideryn founder and director Heather Ruffino told Island Life: ‘I was asked back in 2013 by Ramsey Commissioners if we could perform an enactment about the Star of India as part of the 150th anniversary of her launch from Ramsey Shipyard in 1863 as the Euterpe so I put it together as an acted documentary and wrote a song for the end.

‘As a result of that I always felt there was the potential to do a musical, particularly as the ship is so famous and the main attraction at the Maritime Museum in San Diego, California, and the fact that she was built here by the shipbuilders of Ramsey.

‘This is historical Manx history but more so proud history for Ramsey.’

Heather, who enjoys writing song lyrics and script, teamed up with Marilyn Cannell, who she described as a ‘whizz with music and lyrics’ to create the musical.

The show will give an insight for the audience about the launch of the Euterpe and the way life was of the shipbuilders, fishermen and wives of Ramsey and the crews on board the ship and the emigrants who risked long voyages.

Euterpe started life as a full rigged ship, making voyages to India as a cargo ship. The iron-hulled ship was then used to take emigrants to New Zealand.

In 1901,she was renamed and re-rigged as a barque, sailing the Alaska to California route as a salmon hauler.

She said the cast had been ‘amazing’, adding: ‘I am so proud of everyone who has worked so hard as they have learned brand new songs to be heard for the first time ever by the audiences we look forward to performing to, and of course, without the set and stage building skills, technical and stage management team transforming St Paul’s Hall into Ramsey’s little theatre, it couldn’t happen.’

Performances take place on Friday and Saturday next weekend (October 14 and 15) at 7.30pm with a 2pm matinee on the Saturday. And performances take place at the same times the following weekend, October 21 and 22.

Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer and Lady Lorimer are due to attend the evening performance on October 15.

And Heather said the theatre group was thrilled Dr Ashley and his wife, as part of a group of 15, would be flying over specially for the occasion and will be making a presentation of flags from the ship to Cloideryn and the Governor.

Tickets (£8.50 or £6.50 for concessions) are available from Bridge Bookshop in Ramsey or pay on the door.