By George Dixon.
The “Queen of Ireland”, Panti Bliss, holds court with her latest creation, “If these wigs could talk”.
This seventy-five-minute solo production is packed with heart-warming and, at times, intense accounts and insights into her life as a Drag Queen. Sprinkled with humour and the occasional punch-line, complete with sound effects, help to balance the narrative.
The audience is a cosmopolitan cross-section ranging from sixteen to eighty-year-olds. The performance is rated 12+ with the occasional single swear word.
There is no doubt that living a full life as a Drag Queen is brave and courageous in a country that, back then, had harsh imprisonment laws with violent discrimination. While the majority understandably lived in closets, Drag Queens lived in the spotlight.
It is perhaps part of the reason Bliss became an activist, a light and voice for her community.
Bliss’s skills as an excellent orator and wordsmith are a masterclass in storytelling; the transformation through word pictures allows one to re-live the experiences through her eyes and join in on the fun of the situation and outcome.
Her journey incorporates and touches on several relatable life experiences, like her relationship with her loving father, along with her purpose and drive back in the day, compared to a common reflective question that we all come to. “What is my purpose now?”
True to Bliss’s rebellious and activist nature, the dialogue and conclusion of the night move to a type of rally, focusing on the current various global discriminatory trends and the dangers they present.
The logic, emotional content and delivery highlight one of Bliss’s superpowers. The full house ascended to their feet, giving a well-earned standing ovation.
