Comedy Festival: Celia Pacquola

Celia Pacquola made me love her as soon as she uttered her first words on the stage at the beautiful Comedy Theatre: ‘Well this is a bit f*ckin fancy!’.

The love only grew from there. Well into her 33rd year, or her ‘Jesus Year’, Celia has a wealth of life experience under her belt, including a visit to Sexpo almost 15 years ago that obviously still haunts her to this day. Her current single self is all about getting hold of pizza through the medium of online dating, which I wholeheartedly support.

Celia jumps through ‘The Looking Glass’, pirouetting her way around the tricky bits of ‘adulting’ and her many failures that have somehow ended up with humans paying money to hear her talk about her life on a fancy stage, and maybe empathise with her over the fact that nobody ever means to actually go to Avalon airport instead of Tullamarine. I had a giggle fit over her wording of being part of groups of people ‘united by a common mistake’… especially since I went with someone I share a mutual ex with.

Celia’s just the voice of a modern single lady that’ll have anyone with the same descriptors laughing hysterically at all the streams of consciousness that may have felt unique to them. And it’s not just for the VSP’s out there (very single persons); there’s content in there for everyone. Celia Pacquola has a magic power that lets her wrap entire audiences around her finger, making them feel like she’s their ridiculously talented best friend in some brilliant and highly probable alternate reality.

And there’s a door prize too.

-Jasmin Ashton
Jasmin Ashton is a PR whiz and freelance writer/designer from Melbourne who has a lot of feelings about pretty much everything. Find them at @Jasmanna.

Through the Looking Glass’ runs from 30 March to 13 April at The Comedy Theatre. The venue is wheelchair accessible.

Check out our guide to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for more great shows.

Disclosure: The Plus Ones were invited guests of Token.