Two new Mona Douglas plays released

Sun, 08 Oct 2017

The 30th anniversary of the death of one of the most important people in modern Manx culture is being marked by the release of some of her unpublished work.

Mona Douglas was an enormously important and inspiring figure in the Isle of Man during her long life. When she died at the age of 89 on 8 October 1987 she had made an enormous and lasting impact on all aspects of Manx culture, including language, music, dance and folklore.

She was responsible for saving Manx dancing, collecting some of the Island’s best-loved songs, starting the modern Yn Chruinnaght festival, and inspiring generations of young people to care for and add to their Manx identity in so many ways.

“It would be hard to estimate the extent of her influence on Manx culture today,” says James Franklin, Online and Educational Resources Officer at Culture Vannin.

“It is incredibly important to appreciate what Douglas passed down to us, so that we can understand the worth of the Manx culture and identity which she worked so hard for.”

To mark the 30th anniversary of her death, on the 8th of October, Culture Vannin have released two of Douglas’ previously unpublished plays written in the 1930s and 50s.

The Widow’s House and The Anniversary have not been seen since the 1950s and they have only recently come to light thanks to the Michael Players RBV. They have been made public for the first time via the ManxLiterature.com website.

As one of the most direct methods of reaching audiences, Douglas’ plays offer a fascinating insight into what she held to be important to the general Manx public. The two plays offer Manx dialect, comedy, a depiction of traditional Manx life, and even an exploration of the possibility of freedom.

The plays are freely available at ManxLiterature.com:

The Widow's House by Mona Douglas

The Anniversary by Mona Douglas