Search icon

Life

07th Aug 2017

WATCH: Panti Bliss gives amazingly powerful opening speech at Edinburgh Fringe

Yet another incredible speech from the Irish legend.

Rory Cashin

Homophobic

As we all already know, recognized Irish legend Dr. Panti Bliss sure can deliver a speech.

It was only three years ago when her passionate Noble Call at the Abbey Theater caught the nation’s – and the world’s – attention, and made everyone sit up and take notice.

Just a few days ago, the 70th Edinburgh Fringe Festival kicked off, home of the world’s first fringe festival and a huge celebration of the world’s artistic talents, and none other than our very own Panti Bliss was invited to giving the Welcome Address.

Panti took to the podium at the University Of Edinburgh and delivered yet another incredible speech, this time focusing on a wide range of topics such as the art world, the world of drag, fighting the ideas of masculine and feminine, and Panti’s own personal history as a performer.

It is yet another rousing speech, this time giving hope to other performers – and, indeed, other people in general – who feel they may not fit into a specific box, who feel cordoned off and potentially judged by being pigeonholed, and yet another call to arms to not let the system tell you what you should and shouldn’t do.

You can watch the full speech below, but beware, Panti’s speech is not what you’d call SFW. Not by a long shot.

LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge