700 years ago, Dame Alice Kyteler was the first woman in Ireland to be tried for Heresy.  She fled Kilkenny, and her servant Petronella was tried and convicted in her stead, then publicly burned alive on the main street of Kilkenny. 

Publicly. Burned. Alive.

This is not their story. But it might be.

Following last year's sneak preview, acclaimed theatre company Asylum Productions (The Big Chapel X, The Local) returns to Kilkenny Arts Festival this August for this epic reimagining of the Kilkenny Witch Trials tale.

The story unfolds over five 'episodes', taking place across the city in various locations throughout the Festival. 

We open the show with a large scale participatory dance spectacle on the Parade on the first night of the Festival (Fri Aug 7th@10pm), with over 60 performers dancing their socks off at the Lughnasagh Street Party’, sponsored’ be Dame Alice’s own ‘Kyteler Klub’ and hosted by the Dark Dame herself. 

All great, wild craic, until Alices’ chief accuser Bishop Richard deLedrede arrives. He doesn’t approve of that sort of thing, especially when it’s promoted by a heretic!

Episodes 2, 3 and 4 happen in various locations around the city during the week of the festival, and it all culminates on Sat August 15th at 10pm, with Episode 5: The Burning  - a spectacular finale celebrating the life and commemorating the unjust death of Petronella de Meath - the unfortunate servant girl who took the fall for her mistress’s ‘sins’, becoming the first woman in Ireland or UK to be burnt as a witch. 

Complete with courtroom drama, a community choir and real flames.

 This is a once-in-700-year chance to experience Alice as you've never seen her before.