Much ado about the weather – storm halts opening night performance of Shakespeare play

By COLIN BARTLEY

THIS year’s Kilkenny Arts Festival has a theme of illumination running through it, and unfortunately for the organisers last night did not disappoint.

The opening night of Rough Magic’s interpretation of Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ had to the halted just before the second act due to the threat of lightning storms

The yellow rain warning for Kilkenny turned more into a lightning storm in some parts of Kilkenny, and due to the deluge at the outdoor event at St Kieran’s College, organisers decided to call a halt in the interest of safety.

After the booking of illumination groups like fLux, nature decided to bring its own pathetic fallacy to the opening night of the Kilkenny Arts Festival and the organisers were left with no other choice but to call a halt.

“Unfortunately there is not a lot we can do about the weather, and everyone was really enjoying the performance,” a spokesperson for the Kilkenny Arts Festival said.

Speaking to KilkennyNow.ie they said: “We said to all present at the event last night we will give them a full refund or a replacement ticket for another sitting during the week. If they contact us at the office, we can make the arrangements for them.”

The Kilkenny Arts Festival office can be contacted at 056-7763663.