Freaky Folklore at the Manx Museum
L-R Katie King (MNH), Michelle James, Chloe Shimmin, Anthea Young (MNH)
Manx National Heritage have partnered with local children’s theatre company Hello Little People to stage a unique production at the Manx Museum called Freaky Folklore. The promenade performance was premiered last week to eight primary schools.
Hello Little People were commissioned to create a special Manx Museum theatrical tour for children, using the galleries and collections for inspiration. They based Freaky Folklore on one of the Manx Museum’s most unusual treasures, the Ballafletcher Fairy Cup, a small engraved glass tumbler on display in the social history galleries. Legend has it that Magnus, King of Norway, took the cup from the shrine of St Olaf (d.1030AD) and brought it to the Isle of Man. It is said that whilst the glass remains unbroken, the mystical Lhiannee Shee (fairy sprit), would keep its owner in peace and plenty.
The concept of Manx folklore characters trapped inside a mythical object was woven into the performance, with children having to gather clues and free the characters they met along the way. The theatrical tour helped children to discover more about Manx folklore characters – from Dooinney Oie to Tehi Tegi.
Katie King, Community Learning Officer for MNH said:
“We were absolutely delighted with the final production. It was everything we hoped for and more – a truly magical, mythical, musical masterpiece! The sessions were fully booked with over 250 school children and 50 adults visiting the Manx Museum to enjoy Freaky Folklore all week. The tours had a maximum of 30 taking part, so this meant it was a very immersive and engaging experience for attendees. We have loved working alongside Hello Little People to help them bring their ideas to life.
It has been a real pleasure to have been able to add this unique event into our school workshops programme for 2020. All our workshops for schools can be booked by visiting the learning pages on our website.”
Chloe Shimmin and Michelle James from Hello Little People added:
“We were thrilled to have had the opportunity to create an entirely new, immersive show inspired by Manx myths and folklore. We set up Hello Little People to provide new theatrical experiences to the Manx community and the children of the Isle of Man. Manx National Heritage has supported us every step of the way, and allowed us to bring our crazy, ground-breaking ideas to life. We’re so pleased that the children who have been to see it have loved it so much! We passionately create theatre that embraces Manx culture and stories, which we will continue to do this Christmas, with our next show Juan and the Beanstalk, from 21-28th December at the Nunnery Marquee.”
Hello Little People will be performing their Freaky Folklore tours for families in early 2021. Tickets will be available from www.manxnationalheritage.im in the New Year.
