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theatre · Saturday 26 September 2026 · 8pm 
To Hell in a Handbag
At Watergate Theatre · Parliament Street, Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny
At Watergate Theatre · Parliament Street, Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny
If you know Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, you’ll have seen Canon Chasuble and Miss Prism hovering at the edges of the action - well-mannered, seemingly harmless, reliably in the background. To Hell in a Handbag asks a simple question: what are they actually up to when they’re offstage? The answer, it turns out, is quite a lot - and none of it especially proper. Written by Irish actor-writers Helen Norton and Jonathan White, this is a sharp, warm comedy that stands completely on its own even if you’ve never read a line of Wilde. It suits anyone who likes theatre with real wit to it: couples, friends, grown-up family groups, or anyone who enjoys a night out that leaves them quoting lines in the car home.
The play follows Canon Chasuble and Miss Prism through the gaps in Wilde’s original - those moments between Acts II and III when they vanish from view. What comes out is a picture of two educated but financially precarious Victorians who have made some interesting choices to keep their heads above water. The comedy is character-driven and densely plotted: The Irish Times described it as packing “extraordinary amounts of plot and top-notch gags into a compact package”, and reviewers have called it “wickedly, side-splittingly funny” and “a joyous romp”. The tone sits somewhere between farce and straight comedy - clever enough to reward attention, light enough to carry you through without effort. The production runs at the Watergate Theatre, a 324-seat venue on Parliament Street that has been Kilkenny’s main stage for live performance since 1993, when former President Mary Robinson officially opened it. With 253 seats downstairs and 75 in the balcony, there is not a bad view in the house.
Kilkenny sits roughly midway between Dublin and Waterford on the M9/N9 corridor. From Dublin the drive is about 90 minutes; from Cork it is around two hours via the M8. Bus Éireann operates regular coach services from Dublin Busáras (route 4 and X4) with the journey taking just over two hours; the stop on Patrick Street is a short walk from the theatre. Kilkenny train station on Dublin Road is served by Irish Rail from Dublin Heuston (about 80 minutes); a taxi from the station to Parliament Street takes five minutes. Street parking in Kilkenny city centre is metered; the nearest car parks are on Ormond Road and at the Parade.
September is one of the better months to be in Kilkenny - the summer crowds have thinned, the medieval streets are still warm, and the Castle grounds are at their quietest. The theatre is steps from the River Nore and within easy walking distance of most of the city’s pubs and restaurants. 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.