A fictional folk podcast based in the Isle of Man is set to release six new episodes, one featuring a celebrity guest star.

The ‘Mona’s Isle’ podcast focuses on the characters Ashley, Rory, and their father Arty, as they travel to the island and stay with the eccentric ‘Granny Mona’ to fulfil their mother’s last wish.

Along the way, they meet fierce and friendly creatures while unearthing a ‘family secret that will change the island forever’.

Created by Ramsey’s Kyle Withington, the podcast features an predominantly Manx cast, with the original first eight episodes being aired last winter.

The first ever episode featured well-known actor John Rhys-Davies, while the newest episode, which was released on July 31, guest-stars Manx actress and West End star Samantha Barks.

Talking about the podcast’s guests, Kyle said: ‘One of the things I love most about the Isle of Man is its one-of-a-kind theatre scene.

‘I spent most of my teenage years in different shows with many of the island’s incredibly impressive actors, singers and dancers. When it came to casting Mona’s Isle, it meant I could simply double-down on the contacts list in my phone for the perfect “fantasy cast” for this project.

‘To date, the show features the fabulous voices of Alice Smith, Joseph Jennings, Tony Eccles, Sonia Callin, Jack Divers, David Artus, Chris Caine and Bryony Grant.

‘In these latest episodes, we also welcomed in the fantastic Peter Shimmin, as well as Chloë Shimmin and Michelle Jamieson, known to many around the island for their theatrical productions as “Hello Little People”.’

Kyle now lives in the UK, and described the podcast as his ‘lockdown project’ during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Having always loved the Isle of Man’s folk tales growing up in the island, he recalls revisiting them as an adult and feeling inspired to re-tell them in his own style.

He said: ‘I was taken by just how fragmented they seemed so - with a little creative license - I wrote the premise for Mona’s Isle, a tale that brings them into one literary “world”, all told as a podcast and a medium that comes close to the oral tradition these stories were born out of.

‘It’s my greatest hope for the project that it inspires those who love Manx tales already, but is also accessible to those who may not yet know much about them or our beautiful island.’

The show has been backed by the Isle of Man Arts Council and Culture Vannin, who provided Kyle with the funds necessary to produce the show’s first 14 episodes.

Kyle added: ‘This has given us the opportunity to give what is essentially a grass-roots creative project the full, professional audio treatment.

‘The cast, recording, original score and mixing of the show are on par with any big name audio drama, and build an atmosphere that our fledgling audience has come to love. We owe this to the support both institutions have given us and we are so grateful.’

Mona’s Isle can be found on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and people can stay up to date on the show’s progress on its Instagram page at @monasisle