Be very afraid when The Pumpkin Bites Back in Virginia

The Pumpkin Bites Back will be the debut performance of an unprecedented concept in outdoor family spectacle for Virginia Pumpkin Festival, which runs this October 22 - 25. Festival organisers, including Jimmy Murray, Rita Martin and John O'Reilly, told The Anglo-Celt why they decided against re-running a street pageant this year. "Our pageants have been very well received in previous years, but there has been a number of others in the county already this year. We wanted to change the formula and keep things fresh," explains committee chairman, Mr. Murray. And so, in the spirit of reaching for the stars, the imaginative committee enlisted the help of a man at the top of the carnival art game. Enter Francis Morgan, the man behind the Croke Park GAA 125 Year celebrations, several recent Dublin St. Patrick's Day parades, the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics among other prestigious events. "As part of the Virginia Pumpkin Festival, I have been charged with putting Virginia on the map, a task which I have taken very seriously," says Mr. Morgan of his forthcoming theatre performance, in conjunction with the new and dynamic production company, Blast Proof Sunglasses, whose version of Hedwig and The Angry Inch recently took Belfast by storm. Set in a laboratory, The Pumpkin Bites Back will tell the story of a pumpkin being pumped with hormones, with the chief protagonist being Dr. Tox Icarus (or Dr. Toxic, for short). The stage alone will be 40 feet (five storeys) high, and the characters will add 100 feet on to that again. As Mr. Morgan explains: "Rehearsals are underway for the presentation of a musical fable beyond any comparison, perhaps indeed, beyond the boundaries of your darkest imaginings." Mr. Morgan describes himself online as "a strange and reclusive artist who is rarely seen in public". He mostly resides adrift in a bizarre imaginary world he has created for himself inside his own head, he says, but occasionally, something escapes from this invented land into the place we know as reality. "A spectacular scientific fable that might be far from fiction," is how he describes the forthcoming show, warning that "although this is a family show, the performance contains loud live music, giant puppets and unprecedented, unexpected elements that may prove frightening to very young children." "If you think you've never been surprised... this, my friend, is your opportunity!" promises the exceptionally well respected artist. The Pumpkin Bites Back will be shown on both Friday and Sunday nights, October 22 & 24, animating Virginia with lights, smoke and lots of drama just as the evening twilight is descending on the town. Of course, the weekend will include lots more action. The main musical act is yet to be revealed (watch this space), there will be Sunday night's fancy dress in the marquee (organisers say it's the biggest single venue fancy dres party in the country), there'll also be the soapbox derby, lots of family entertainment, markets and lots more to keep the town buzzing for the entire bank holiday weekend. Of course, Virginia Pumpkin Festival is so-named for a reason, and the vegetables synonymous with halloween are at the centre of the action, with judging for the biggest and best pumpkins scheduled for the Sunday. Virginia Pumpkin Festival is gradually becoming an international event. There are other well-established pumpkin festivals in continental Europe and America, but Co. Cavan's is believed to be the only in Ireland and organisers are promoting it overseas. "We travelled in spring this year to meet a man called Brad Wurston in Holland, who's in charge of the European Giant Vegetable Growers Association," explains Donal McEvoy, Pergola Nurseries, Virginia. "He has kindly donated seed to a number of growers in Ireland to compete in the festival. Many other growers are coming from European countries as well. We have interest from growers in France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Sweden, so they're all keeping a watchful eye on their pumpkins' progress hopeful of travelling over." Virginia national school have students growing pumpkins too, explains Mr. McEvoy, and there are a number of serious contenders in counties Louth, Longford and Cavan. There could be 100-plus entrants this year, many of whom are "quite competitive and using all sorts of methods and techniques to grow them to the biggest size and quality that they can," says Mr. McEvoy. There will be prizes for size, shape, beauty and ugliness among other categories. "The madness has begun already in Virginia and people are getting quite excited about the festival," concludes Mr. McEvoy. "The Pumpkin Bites Back show is set to be really exciting, with its theme of genetically modified pumpkins and toxic growers!" • See www.thepumpkinisback.com and www.pumpkinfestival.ie