← All events
theatre · Monday 13 July 2026 · See website for times 
The Little Mermaid Panto Camp - Age 11-14
At Watergate Theatre · Parliament Street, Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny
At Watergate Theatre · Parliament Street, Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny
If your teenager has ever thrown their heart into a school show or secretly rehearsed lines in the bathroom mirror, a week at Watergate Theatre this July is worth knowing about. The Little Mermaid Panto Camp is a five-day immersive summer camp for young people aged 11 to 14, run by Watergate Theatre on Parliament Street in Kilkenny City. It runs Monday 13 to Friday 17 July 2026, and by the end of the week participants perform in front of an audience - not just take a certificate home.
The camp is built around the panto format - big characters, physical storytelling, and a lot of collaborative energy - so it suits young people who enjoy performing as much as those who want to try it for the first time. Watergate Theatre has a strong track record with youth theatre programmes; past summer camps have been led by experienced theatre directors and choreographers, covering acting technique, singing, and movement as an integrated package rather than as separate classes.
The week builds toward a culminating performance by the group, which gives participants a real deadline to work toward and a proper stage to perform on. Watergate is a 324-seat professional venue, so teens get the full experience of a proper theatre space - wings, a lit stage, and an audience. Siblings or additional children from the same household qualify for a reduced rate.
The Watergate has been the centrepiece of the performing arts scene in Kilkenny for decades, hosting everything from community productions to touring national companies, which means the young people who attend are working in an environment that takes theatre seriously.
Kilkenny is well served by road and rail. From Dublin, the M9 motorway brings you to the city in roughly 90 minutes. Irish Rail runs direct services from Dublin Heuston, with the journey taking around 80 minutes; the train station is about a 15-minute walk from Parliament Street. Bus Eireann routes also connect Kilkenny with Waterford, Cork, and Limerick. Parking is available at the Kieran Street car park and the multi-storey at The Parade, both a short walk from the theatre.
Dropping off or collecting from camp is a good excuse to spend time in one of Ireland’s most compact and walkable medieval cities - Kilkenny Castle, the Black Abbey, and the Design Centre on the Castle yard are all within easy reach of the theatre. There is more to see in Kilkenny and across Co. Kilkenny.
Heading to Watergate Theatre in Kilkenny? Kilkenny has plenty more to see. Read the Kilkenny area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.