As the year goes on, and the seasons begin to change, a festival will once again take place on Peel Beach to banish the winter blues and welcome in spring.

The Oie Voaldyn May Day and Fire Festival takes place on Peel Beach on Sunday, May 5, and the organisers are promising to build on last year’s inaugural event, and to make this year’s bigger and better.

There will be a full day of crafts, culture and entertainment on the beach and around the Spit Corner area of Peel promenade, and the evening’s main event, featuring huge gorse bonfires and a cast of characters, taken from Manx and Viking folklore, will parade along the shoreline, illuminated by hundreds of torch-bearing assistants.

This free day of celebration will be followed by a Som et Lumiere, a display of fire spinning and dancing, performed by the dancers from ’Spinning Vannin’, capped off with a spectacular fire work display.

The creator of the Oie Voaldyn festival, John Shakespeare, says that he was thrilled with the reaction he received to last year’s event, which also featured a mock sword battle during the venting, and a line-up of local bands during the day.

’Last year was the first time we had done anything like this, and we feel that it was a great success,’ said John.

’All the comments we received were wholly positive, and people seemed to really get into the idea of the day and the festival.

’The festival was launched with the help of the Year of Our Island project, but we wanted to create this event to be an annual one, and this year we want to make sure this one is was bigger and better than last year’s.

’It is a unique event in the Isle of Man, and it is one that tries to combine both our Viking and Celtic heritage, which makes it very different to other festivals.

’It lets us celebrate our connections with both those worlds, and also we get the chance to bring characters in Manx Folklore to life.’

John said that this year they have introduced more elements and characters into the show, and he wants as many people as possible to come along and join in with the parades.

’We are holding an open day and casting session, if you like, at the Peel Masonic hall this Saturday, from 1oam until 4pm, and we are asking anyone at all who maybe interested in taking part to come down,’ he said.

’We have a core cast for our show of around 78 roles, such as the Winter and Summer Queen and similar characters, who will act out the story and interact with the audience.

’There are a number of key roles up for grabs this year, all are non-speaking parts, but some character acting is required.

’Those playing major parts will be in the thick of it, and the show will be fully costumed, choreographed and rehearsed.

’We also have the winter and summer parades, and we’re hoping that we have around 200 people in each of those.

’It is a chance to get dressed up, hold a lighted torch and join in with either parade.’

Among the new weird and wonderful-sounding characters being introduced this year are the Boneman, the Gorseman, or woman.

’As this is a fire festival, the gorse plays an important part in that time of year, as it is usually the time where it is burnt off and the ground cleared,’ said John.

’We have created the idea of this character who personifies the gorse, and also the Boneman, who will be dressed as a skeleton figure, who will represent death.

’There are some amazing costumes being made as we speak.’

They would also like someone to portray the Phynoderee, the large and intimidating spirit from Manx Folklore, a character which the organisers would like to be of ’big build’, and be a ’tall crowd rouser’.

The organisers are also looking for people to play the Winter Queen, attendants and also a flock of animals, who will be dressed in loaghtan sheep masks and driving through the smoke of the fires.

Throughout the day of Oie Voaldyn, there will be many cultural activities along the promenade, including crosh cuirn making, guided tours around Peel, Viking crafts and displays and story telling, along with more local bands and music and a variety of food stalls.

There will also be classes on poi dancing, held on the beach by Spinning Vannin during the day.

More information on taking part in the Oie Voaldyn show, and on the day itself, is available on oievoaldyn.com or the event’s Facebook page.

by Mike Wade

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