●●●●○
Panti Bliss’s latest return to the Dublin stage arrives at a suitable time for this artist’s unforgettable year in the public eye. It’s a fact that Panti owns, reminding us immediately in the opening moments of High Heels In Low Places that she is a “National Fucking Treasure.” This comment, however, remains very tongue-in-cheek along with much of this performer’s recounting of The Saturday Night Show, John Waters, the Abbey Noble Call, and tweets from Madonna.
Panti, the long-standing drag alter-ago of Irishman Rory O’Neill, presents in this latest one-woman show (preceded by other work with this THISISPOPBABY such as In These Shoes?, All Dolled Up, and A Woman In Progress) a continuation of classic drag mixed with pointed, polished, and hilarious political discussion. Learning in this show about the unease with which Panti approached her fame in the last calendar year, one starts to realize that as magnifying and empowering as the experience must have been, it came with its own set of personal pressures, public abuse, and unbridled discourse. Panti does not let her audience dwell too long on these struggles, of course, maintaining a precisely paced series of sharp-tongued quips, self-deprecating descriptions, and scathing assessments of her life and those she has encountered. Arriving in Dublin after a National tour, High Heels In Low Places does not seek to be an opus about this artist’s life, but rather an engaging evening of storytelling, audience inclusion, and highly skilled performance. The comfort-level with which Panti delivers her speeches, often concerning deeply personal or difficult issues, is magnificent. Panti escorts her audience into an intimate space, but one that is dazzled with glorious comic timing, thrillingly crude humour, and a rare honesty.
Although High Heels In Low Places does not explore too far beyond the era of ‘Panti-Gate,’ and anecdotes from the performer’s life, it claims its territory from the beginning. Instead this show seeks to offer an unmediated interpretation of the last year’s events. While Panti may now have a book and cultural brand to her name, there is still much discussion and entertaining ahead for this national fucking treasure.
High Heels In Low Places runs at Project Arts Centre until December 6.
