John Pollak

PANTI IS ROOTING FOR AUSTRALIA @ THE CHAUVEL PADDINGTON

This is a show playing at the Chauvel Theatre until Tuesday. It is part of Sydney’s Mardi Gras celebrations.

We arrived somewhat early to see it and serendipitously stumbled across the Paddington Reservoir which is beneath the street adjacent to the Theatre. We were intrigued by its vast rounded caverns and arches, built in brick in the nineteenth century . There was an amazing “tasting” there of various pristine drinking waters sourced  from North  Queensland to Tasmania .

Now to Panti.

Panti is a drag queen from Ireland and she (he) bursts upon the audience in an electric racing green cocktail dress and a dazzling Farah Fawcett style wig. Shapely elegant feminine legs stand in beige pink classic high heel shoes. Panti is a comedian segueing seamlessly over disparate topics from Australian TV coffee and crocodiles to being HIV positive (she is). It is a high energy, high voltage performance very much in keeping with that dress. She works the audience, up around and down the perimeters of the Chauvel, taunting flirting querying, but never rude or a boorish. Her style and ease are consummate , her connection with the audience personal and never aloof.

Panti’s real name is Rory O’Neill famed in Ireland as legendary drag queen and for her political skills. At the end of more than a rumbustious hour of comedic lechery she becomes serious. She is here in Australia to help us promote marriage equality. Promote your cause with humanity she says. Do not revile or insult. Do not lecture. Remember that if there is any doubt the person in the ballot box will vote for the status quo. It is only your stories in their countless thousands, that are meaningful and will sway the battle.

Her punch line is almost irrefutable : any rapist, bigot, murderer fascist nazi or serial killer can marry. “Why can’t we?”

At the end the audience roared with assent and gave her a standing ovation.

Panti is an original. A fiery warrior for her cause tempering her assault with compassion, humanity, humour and reason. It is the steel fist inside the comedic glove.

If you have a spare moment do not miss it.

Published by John Pollak

John Pollak did Arts and Law at Sydney uni. He practised Law for a short while and went into business. He made too much money for his own good and today is not so much retired as having little to do. He plays tennis and carries the bags for his wife when she goes overseas. When prompted and badgered he does the occasional review. He goes to Ethiopia every now and then and where, with Professor McGuigan of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, he is bringing the Sodis Program for safer water to the Tigray region. When seen in public he is often hunched over a cup of coffee and a foccacio whilst immersed in a diabolical suduko. Or he is driving his wife to bridge.