IrelandWeek and THISISPOPBABY Present PANTI BLISS: LIVE IN LA

IrelandWeek (www.IrelandWeek.com) and THISISPOPBABY are proud to announce Irish sensation PANTI BLISS: LIVE IN LA at the Hollywood Improv for two nights only, Oct. 21 and 22 at 10:30 p.m. both nights.

The Queen of Ireland, Panti Bliss will share with Los Angeles her gender-discombobulating, stiletto-shaped world, exposing the stories behind the makeup – from performance giant to accidental activist – to reveal the National Treasure she is today.

Tickets are available here: https://tinyurl.com/yazbars7

Former Tokyo club scene doyenne, Panti Bliss is Ireland's foremost gender illusionist. She has run some of Dublin's most seminal club nights, and hosted and produced the legendary Alternative Miss Ireland pageant, which raised money over 18 years for HIV/AIDS charities in Ireland. She is landlady of Pantibar in Dublin, where she performs and spins records.

Panti made her theatrical debut in 2007 with the critically acclaimed, sold-out "In These Shoes?" Since then she has made five smash hit shows that have toured the world, from New York to Manchester and Sarajevo to Sydney.

Panti’s last collaboration with THISISPOPBABY – "High Heels in Low Places" – was a response to the social, political and media maelstrom that erupted earlier that year known as 'Pantigate' and the ensuing Marriage Equality Referendum in Ireland. The show has played to packed houses throughout Ireland and the UK, as well as Melbourne, Paris, Oslo and Edinburgh. Panti Bliss: Live In LA is about life after Pantigate – making movies and making history – along with other brushes with infamy that Panti has had in a life well lived. It’s a comedy.

In January 2014, Panti appeared on the Saturday Night Show on Ireland's national broadcaster RTE, where she asserted that journalists and organizations that actively campaign for LGBT citizens to have less rights than their straight counterparts, were in effect homophobic. Those named threatened to sue the broadcaster, and were subsequently paid €85,000 in damages. The payout resulted in public and media outcry in Ireland, with the affair promptly being named 'PantiGate.' Support for Panti was expressed from the houses of parliament to the front pages of the national newspapers.

On Feb. 1, 2014, in an act of solidarity, the Abbey Theatre invited Panti to speak after the final performance of historical drama "The Risen People." She spoke about oppression and homophobia: "The word 'homophobia' is no longer available to gay people, which is a spectacular and neat Orwellian trick, because now it turns out that gay people are not the victims of homophobia – homophobes are." A video of the speech was posted on YouTube, and within hours it had gone viral with celebrities including Graham Norton, Stephen Fry, Martina Navratilova, Alan Cumming, RuPaul and even Madonna all sending words of support and solidarity. To date, Panti's 'Noble Call' speech has been viewed over 700,000 times, reported about widely in international media, recently put to music by pop royalty, Pet Shop Boys and was instrumental in Ireland's recent Marriage Equality Referendum success.

Hilarious and poignant, PANTI BLISS: LIVE IN LA is a riotous comedy about life after 'Pantigate' — making movies and making history. Charting brushes with infamy, near-misses with fame, and adventures in the seedy underbelly, this is a comedy about a life well-lived, in which Panti promises to "say the un-sayable."

Panti shared, "I'm very excited to be playing my first-ever shows in Los Angeles, and what better time than during Ireland week — an important and vibrant celebration of our cultural creativity on the west coast of America. I'll play two bespoke shows at the Hollywood Improv called PANTI BLISS: LIVE IN LA where I'll be telling Americans way too much about my personal life, and not listening when they try to tell me about theirs."

IrelandWeek is a week of conference panels and culture festivities from Oct. 16-21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. In association with Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, The Irish Film Board, Culture Ireland, Creative Ireland, IDA Ireland, Tourism Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, IrelandWeek's focus is to bring Ireland to the world, and the world back to Ireland. Sponsors of the week include Aer Lingus, The Ireland Funds, The California Irish Legislative Caucus and Kensington Caterers. Supporters of the project include Music From Ireland, the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, The City of Los Angeles and many more. The official media partner of Ireland Week is Irish Times Abroad.

CONNECT353, the conference component of IrelandWeek, will take place Oct. 19 at LA Live Regal Theatre and will have a series of panel discussions and keynote speeches ranging from film, TV, animation, technology, gaming, music, culture, arts, tourism, Brexit, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi in Ireland featuring the producer and director.

With enhanced connectivity between Los Angeles and Dublin, IrelandWeek aims to capitalize by creating a two-way international superhighway. Ireland displays its talents abroad while encouraging inward investment, tourism, jobs and cultural awareness.

Aer Lingus offers non-stop flights from Dublin to Los Angeles and has provided a discount code for people traveling to Los Angeles from Ireland to IrelandWeek - discount code IRLLAX17.

To get tickets and updates on events please go to www.IrelandWeek.com.

ABOUT PANTI BLISS
Former Tokyo club scene doyenne, Panti Bliss is Ireland's foremost gender illusionist. She has run some of Dublin's most seminal club nights, and hosted and produced the legendary Alternative Miss Ireland pageant, which raised money over 18 years for HIV/AIDS charities in Ireland. She is landlady of Pantibar in Dublin, where she performs and spins records. For more information please visit https://www.facebook.com/panti.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade focuses on serving the Irish public, both at home and abroad, including; providing a range of services to Irish citizens and ensuring the promotion and protection of Ireland's interests in the world, contributing to international priorities such as peace, security and the eradication of poverty and hunger. For more information please visit: www.dfa.ie

ABOUT THE IRISH FILM BOARD
The role of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) is the national development agency for Irish filmmaking and the Irish film, television and animation industry, investing in talent, creativity and enterprise. The agency supports writers, directors and production companies across these sectors by providing investment loans for the development, production and distribution of film, television and animation projects. For more information please visit: http://www.irishfilmboard.ie

ABOUT CULTURE IRELAND
Culture Ireland promotes Irish arts worldwide.  By creating and supporting opportunities for Irish artists and companies to present and promote their work at strategic international festivals and venues as well as developing platforms to present outstanding Irish work to international audiences, through showcases at key global arts events, including the Edinburgh Festivals and the Venice Biennales. For more information please visit: http://www.cultureireland.ie

ABOUT CREATIVE IRELAND
Creative Ireland is a culture-based programme designed to promote individual, community and national well-being. The core proposition is that participation in cultural activity drives personal and collective creativity, with significant implications for individual and societal wellbeing and achievement. For more information please visit: https://creative.ireland.ie

ABOUT IDA IRELAND
Ireland's inward investment promotion agency, the IDA, is a non-commercial, semi-state body promoting Foreign Direct Investment into Ireland through a wide range of services. By partnering with potential and existing investors to help establish or expand operations in Ireland. For more information please visit: http://www.idaireland.com

ABOUT TOURISM IRELAND
Tourism Ireland is responsible for marketing the island of Ireland overseas as a holiday and business tourism destination; by delivering world-class marketing programmes in 23 markets across the world and reaching a global audience up to 600 million each year. Targeted marketing activity includes advertising online, on TV and outdoor sites, in cinemas and in newspapers and magazines, eMarketing, overseas publicity, co-operative marketing with carriers and other partners and promotions to the travel trade and consumers. For more information please visit: https://www.tourismireland.com

ABOUT ENTERPRISE IRELAND
Enterprise Ireland is the government organisation responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets including working in partnership with Irish enterprises to help them start, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets. In this way, About Enterprise Ireland supports sustainable economic growth, regional development and secure employment. For more information please visit: https://www.enterprise-ireland.com

ABOUT MUSIC FROM IRELAND
Music From Ireland is the Irish music export office run by First Music Contact in partnership with Culture Ireland which funds and presents the Irish showcases at large international music conferences. For more information please visit: http://www.musicfromireland.org

ABOUT THE O'NEILL GROUP
The O'Neill Group Inc. (ONG) is a full-service Conference, Event and Meeting management company specializing in producing high-quality world-class events for corporations and nonprofits both in the US and internationally with a particular emphasis on Ireland operating since 1999. For more information please visit www.the-oneillgroup.com.

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