PANTI BLISS is a drag queen, contemporary comedy legend, and political activist. She is, quite simply, the Queen of Ireland, and she will tell her story at Galway’s Black Box Theatre on Saturday, October 28.
The extraordinary journey that saw Rory O’Neill from Ballinrobe in South Mayo, transform into Panti Bliss, a figurehead for LGBT+ rights in Ireland, will be regaled in her one-woman show, If These Wigs Could Talk, as part of 2023 Galway Comedy Festival.
Expect a night of salacious stories and far-fetched shenanigans, from meeting an Ambassador in Vienna, to an incident with a large dildo called Girth Brooks at a Harry Potter play. Yet this is also a story about how Panti rediscovered her passion for the important ideals she stands for: “It’s about being an ageing drag queen. It’s also about re-finding your purpose in life, which in my case is telling bigots to go f*** themselves.”
As The Guardian pointed out, the closing moments of If These Wigs Could Talk “take on the character of a rally, as Panti rails against the reactionary temper of our times – and rediscovers her raison d’etre.” Expect a call to arms to never let your guard down, as rights hard won may be lost much more easily.
If These Wigs Could Talk has already enjoyed record-breaking-runs in Dublin, Belfast and London. It hits Galway this weekend.
If These Wigs Could Talk at the Black Box Theatre on Saturday, October 28, is part of Galway Comedy Festival. For tickets see www.galwaycomedyfestival.ie
