Kilkenny Arts Festival – announces 3 World Premieres for August 2025

Kilkenny Arts Festival 

announces 3 World Premieres for August 2025

A new theatre co-production from Rough Magic & Kilkenny Arts Festival 

where Peter Hanly confronts ‘What Are You Afraid Of’

An explosive acrobatic spectacle in Castle Yard

A haunting new opera interweaving the extraordinary stories of two women 

Savita Halappanavar and Anne Bonny

Tickets on sale NOW 

While the full programme announcement for Kilkenny Arts Festival 2025 (KAF) will be made in the coming months, Director Olga Barry today made an early announcement of 3 World Premieres taking place in Kilkenny this August including

Rough Magic and Director Lynne Parker returning once again to Kilkenny Arts Festival presenting a much anticipated new theatrical co-production which sees Peter Hanly returning to the stage

A haunting and intimate new opera in St Canice’s Cathedral by Kamala Sankaram described by the Washington Post as “one of the most exciting opera composers in the country” with libretto by Paul Muldoon

The Festival returns to Castle Yard with a new and unmissable acrobatic spectacle. 

Tickets for these performances are on sale now from Kilkennyarts.ie 

Speaking today, Director of Kilkenny Arts Festival Olga Barry said,“It’s a privilege to welcome audiences to Kilkenny in the late summer for an explosion of artistic adventures, and a particular thrill to announce three world premiere productions with key collaborators this year”. 

“KAF’s partnership with Rough Magic has led to numerous award-winning productions, notably Shakepeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Michael West’s adaptation of Mike McCormick’s Solar Bones starring Stanley Townsend. For our 7th collaboration it’s a thrill to see the return of the much-missed Peter Hanly on stage directed by the incomparable Lynne Parker for the premiere of What Are You Afraid Of?. We’re excited to return to the iconic Castle Yard for a special international premiere of an acrobatic feast for the senses, in the creative hands of Jonah McGreevy – whose work has been seen in four previous Loosysmokes productions for KAF. We’re delighted to present the world premiere of Custom of the Coast from composer Kamala Sankaram and poet Paul Muldoon for the opening night of the Festival in August”. 

Rough Magic and Kilkenny Arts Festival come together once again to present What Are You Afraid Of? written by Peter Hanly. 

You may remember the actor Peter Hanly from such projects as Braveheart or Ballykissangel as well as his many performances on stage. So… where did he disappear to? And why? During a dress rehearsal at the Gate Theatre in 2011, Peter suddenly experienced extreme stage fright. Within a year, Peter would give up acting. 

Until now. In this world premiere from Rough Magic and Kilkenny Arts Festival, Peter ends up on stage one last time searching everywhere to find out what happened. And to ask the broader question of himself, and of you… what are you afraid of? Further cast to be announced. Directed by Lynne Parker. Dates: 5 – 9 August & 11 – 12 August. Watergate Theatre. Tickets: €30 / €33. 

Photo credit – Miguel De