Manx dialect, performed through poetry recital, song and with a staging of a classic Manx play, returns to the stage this weekend.

The Manks concert, which takes place at the Peel Centenary Centre on Saturday, February 24, offers another chance to watch the dialect play ’A L’il Smook’, which was performed by the Michael Players at the Oie’ll Verree concert, held in Kirk Michael at the start of the year.

Also appearing will be the youth folk group Scran, featuring the first performance by harpist Mera Royle since she was nominated in the best young musician category of the BBC Folk award.

Marlene Hendy and Dilys Sowry will also be performing some of their traditional and original songs.

There will also be a reading of two dialect poems. Deborah Taubman will read a section from the TE Brown poem ’Betsy Lee’, which she first memorably read at the Oie’ll Verree show, and Win Callister will read a Kathleen Faragher poem.

The concert had been originally organised by the late Roy Kennaugh, who sadly died shortly before Oie’ll Verree in December.

Bob Carswell, who will open the show, said that Roy will be remembered through the night.

’Of course it was Roy who was very much involved in organising this show,’ said Bob.

’He had put a lot of work into getting everyone together and making sure this show could go ahead. He will definitely be remembered at the weekend.

’I’ll pay my respects to him when I get a chance to speak, and, although it won’t be mournful, the night will be dedicated to him.’

Proceeds of the raffle are to go the Friends of Sophia Goulden.

Tickets for the concert, which begins at 7.30pm, are priced £7, and available from Shakti Mann, in Ramsey, Celtic Gold, Peel, Peter Norris Music and GH Corletts in Douglas.