What Are You Afraid Of? by Peter Hanly at Theatre Royal Waterford

What to Expect

What Are You Afraid Of? plays Theatre Royal Waterford on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 September 2026. Peter Hanly wrote it and performs in it, and the material comes straight out of his own life: in 2011 he was hit by stage fright during a rehearsal, and it ended a thirty year acting career. This production is his return to the stage, and it uses that collapse as the way into a wider look at how fear operates on everyone, not just performers.

The theatre describes the piece as funny, moving and deeply personal, with a touch of theatrical magic worked into the staging, building towards an account of resilience, self-discovery and starting again. It is directed by Lynne Parker and played by a cast of three, presented by Rough Magic in association with Kilkenny Arts Festival, which places it among the stronger new Irish work touring this autumn. The theatre flags intimate visual content and advises viewer discretion. Tickets are €28.50.

Good to Know

• Dates: Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 September 2026, 8:00 PM both nights
• Venue: Theatre Royal Waterford, The Mall, Waterford city
• Tickets: €28.50, through the Theatre Royal box office or its Ticketsolve page
• Written by and starring Peter Hanly, directed by Lynne Parker
• Presented by Rough Magic with Kilkenny Arts Festival
• Contains intimate visual content, viewer discretion advised
• Box office: 051 874402 or boxoffice@theatreroyal.ie

Getting There

Theatre Royal is on The Mall in Waterford city centre, a couple of minutes’ walk from the Quay and the main city centre bus stops. Drivers approach on the M9 from Dublin or the N25 from Cork and Wexford, with multi-storey and on-street parking close by. Plunkett Station, Waterford’s rail and Bus Eireann terminus, is across the river on the north bank, roughly fifteen minutes on foot over Rice Bridge.