THE ROAST OF PANTI BLISS

Over 10 years since her iconic Noble Call, Panti Bliss returned to the Abbey Theatre in May for another unforgettable occasion. The Queen of Ireland was joined on stage by a star-studded cast who raised a toast and served up a roast, all in the name of charity. Photos by Babs Daly.

Panti — Roast — Event

A hilariously savage panel of roasters took over Ireland’s national theatre in May to tear down one of country’s greatest icons, Panti Bliss. Marking the 10th anniversary of Marriage Equality, The Roast of Panti Bliss was an incredible night of wild laughter and fundraising for yours truly, GCN.

Hosted by TV presenter and fashion designer Brendan Courtney, this first-of-its-kind event took place at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on Bank Holiday Sunday, May 4. 10 years after the Marriage Equality referendum, Panti returned to the same stage where she delivered her iconic Noble Call—a key moment in Ireland’s fight for same-sex marriage.

Setting the tone for the rest of the night, Brendan Courtney deemed the room an “offence-free zone” and held nothing back when introducing the Queen of Ireland herself, sharing wild stories from their 30 years of friendship.

“We met in 1995 in The Kitchen nightclub, f *ck me, 30 years ago” Brendan recalled. “We chatted and I was fascinated, in fairness she was by far the stand out best-looking Irish drag queen I had ever seen… She was tall and skinny, oh how cruel the years have been. You can actually see time marching right across her face,” he continued (with a few roasts redacted.)

Brendan then welcomed to the stage the superbly talented panel of notable figures who dished out hilarious, no-holds-barred roasts. The star-studded lineup included actor and writer Tara Flynn, TV personality Katherine Lynch, TV host Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, presenter James Patrice, drag icons Davina Devine, Dizzy Dyin4it and Mr Pussy, triple-threat performer Paul Ryder and journalist and presenter Elaine Crowley.

Between sizzling one-liners and hilarious hot takes, the roasters had the entire audience clutching their pearls as they tore Panti and each other down in the name of fundraising, with all money raised on this incredible night going to sustain the work GCN does as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.

First to the stage was Katherine Lynch as her alter-ego Sheila Sheikh. She traced back through some key moments in Panti’s career, including her one-woman show If These Wigs Could Talk, “which I love, especially the really moving bit where the wigs ask for a therapist and a separate dressing room.”

Then it was Davina’s turn to take to the podium, surprising Panti by wearing the same dress and wig she wore for the Noble Call. She performed a drag number, hilariously impersonating her fellow queen, complete with sound bites from the unforgettable speech.

Tara Flynn was next up, and while her fellow cast members took aim at each other with insults galore, she explained, “I was asked to roast the rest of the panel and I said, ‘In these divisive times? No way I’m going to punch down on people most of us have barely heard of ’.”

Celebrating Panti’s trailblazing activism, Tara added, “I hope, as we both crone up, she will continue to be vocally outspoken for the most downtrodden of oppressed minorities: Capel Street business owners.”

Paul Ryder followed Tara, and showed genuine appreciation for Panti’s Noble Call: “I listen to it often when I’m struggling to sleep.” It was then Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh’s turn, who called Panti out for “still going on about this great speech that happened 10 years ago. Jesus, typical drag queens, they are great at milking it… The celebration of this Noble Call has lasted longer than half of those gay marriages!”

Dizzy Dyin4It didn’t hold back, but rounded off her speech by mentioning some of Panti’s fantastic achievements. “I have to say all these lovely things about her because I make a sh*t load of cash DJing in her bars,” she explained.

It was then James Patrice’s “great honour” to throw a few digs at the night’s guest of honour. Going back to when they first met 14 years ago, James said, “I remember as a young, little drag queen, watching Panti stand there in all her glitz and glamour, a total vision! I remember looking, thinking, ‘This is a glimpse into what I, one day, could become’... and I ran a f *cking mile.”

Elaine Crowley was a late addition to the cast, but like a true professional, she fulfilled the brief expertly. She had a bone to pick with Panti: “You and your Noble Call ballsed up any chance myself and Katherine ever had of walking up the aisle. A lavender marriage was the only hope we had! I’m going to have to swap The George for Copper Face Jacks, swap confused gay men for concussed GAA man. Seriously, what’s the point if you can’t hitch your wagon to a glamorous gay in your latter years? I feel cheated.”

The legendary Mr Pussy delivered the final punches, roasting the panel and Panti in a way only he can. As it was also the night before his birthday, he was surprised with a cake on stage as the sold-out crowd serenaded him.

To close the night, Panti took to the podium, reassuring everyone in the room: “I’m not easily offended. And anyway, in order to be offended I’d have to care what these assh*les think about me.”

She thanked the crowd for coming and for all of their support throughout the years, before sharing a moment with the roasters on stage, receiving a standing ovation.

Speaking about the event after the fact, GCN Manager, Stefano Pappalardo, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled with The Roast of Panti Bliss–what an unforgettable night of laughter and celebration! To mark the 10th anniversary of Marriage Equality and celebrate one of Ireland’s biggest queer icons on the same stage where Panti held her iconic Noble Call, one of the pivotal moments in the Marriage Equality campaign, was truly a joy. This event also served as a fundraiser for GCN, to ensure we can continue our mission of informing, educating, connecting, platforming, and entertaining the LGBTQ+ community. Having sold out in under 48 hours, this was also one of the fastest-selling shows on record at the Abbey Theatre.

“A huge thank you to the Queen of Ireland, Panti Bliss, for being the most incredible guest of honour, to Brendan Courtney for being the dream host and to our wonderful roasters, who did a fantastic job of bringing loads of laughter and some pretty epic shade. We’re also incredibly grateful to the team at the Abbey Theatre, our wonderful sponsors at Boots, whose generous support made this night possible, our friends at Craft Cocktails for providing drinks for the night, and Budget Event Hire.ie for donating a throne fit for a queen. And finally, thank you to everyone who came along, we hope you had an amazing night and we are extremely grateful for your support!”

GCN has been Ireland’s LGBTQ+ paper of record since 1988, serving as a vital resource to inform, educate, platform, and connect the community. It is the trading name of the NXF (National LGBT Federation CLG, Registered Charity Number: 20034580).

With a not-for-profit model, GCN operates on limited funds and resources and has been greatly impacted by rising business costs, like rent, electricity and paper. Amid an increasingly hostile global political climate and the rise of hate and misinformation, now more than ever, our community needs a free, accessible, independent media organisation that tells our side of the story.

If you couldn’t make it to this fabulous event but would like to support the work we do, please consider donating what you can at gcn.ie/become-gcn-supporter.

The Roast of Panti Bliss was proudly sponsored by Boots.

Thank you also to our friends at Craft Cocktails and Budget Event Hire.ie.