Panti is Coming to The Big Screen

The drama will star drag performer Rory O’Neill, aka Panti Bliss, and will be set in the public figure's Dublin bar and nightclub. So far, the name of the production is titled PantiBar - though that may be subject to change.

The screenplay will be written by Panti with help from long-time collaborator and theatre producer Philip McMahon and John Butler. “It’s Queer as Folk meets Cheers,” said Sophie Gardiner, head of drama and creative director at Playground, on Tuesday at a British Press Guild lunch event.

“Panti Bliss is known as the Queen of Ireland because she was crucial in the campaign for marriage equality. She’s the most wonderful drag queen, is quite politically engaged and we came across her in a TED talk.”

PantiBar has yet to be given the green light, but Gardiner said she was optimistic about its chances, adding that there was a lot of international interest in the production. “It’s a really interesting and transgressive show about what drag means and what happens when you’re in a place where everyone feels liberated,” she said.