Celia Pacquola
Comedy writer
Radio & Television Performer
Stand Up, Sketch & Impro Performer
2009 was a year of formidable firsts for Celia Pacquola. She performed her first solo stand up show Am I Strange? At the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival where she won The Age Critics Award for Best Australian Show, sold out the entire season and received numerous rave reviews of her performance. She was also invited to perform at the prestigious Edinburgh Festival where she received critical acclaim and was awarded four stars for her show from The Scotsman, The Guardian, Time Out, Chortle UK and The Daily Telegraph.
2009 also saw Celia on the small screen with appearances on Good News Week, Spicks and Specks, Rove and ADbc, She also commenced writing a regular column for The Age.
Celia continues to thrive on live performance and last year hit the road as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow where she performed in Singapore and around Australia. She also appeared in the lineup for Upfront, the Moosehead Awards, Class Clowns Final, Short and Girly and Skirt events.
This year, Celia brought an exciting new show to both the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Sydney Comedy Festival. Flying Solos entirely sold out both seasons (including added shows) and Celia certainly showed her audiences that going it alone has never been so exciting!
Add to that numerous 4-star reviews (see links below) and Celia is heading to Edinburgh Fringe Festival again with this warm, uplifting and incredibly funny show!
Celia Pacquola first burst onto the Melbourne comedy scene in 2006. After only a handful of gigs, but a barrelful of laughs, she was crowned the Raw Recruit, winning the prize for Best First Time Entrant in the prestigious Raw Comedy open mic competition as part of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Celia's candid and richly funny observations of the universe were lapped up by audiences nationally and noted by critics. As a result she was hand picked in 2007 to perform as part of The Comedy Zone, which features the brightest new comedy talent on the scene.
In 2008 Celia traded in her waitressing career to write for Good News Week, write and perform for The Comedy Hour on ABC radio and broadcast her weekly radio show Red Hot Go on Fox FM. In November 2008 Celia also performed stand up on Rove Live.
"Celia Pacquola is Adam Hills with Ovaries" Chortle UK
"Jaw achingly funny. Her delivery is sharp and her timing just right" The Age
"..a bit strange, but a lot brilliant" The Age
"like a cat with a dead bird, this intensly likeable comedian hunts the funny...has the audience eating out of her hand..Pacquola is in control from start to finish" The Age
"What a performer, what a journey, what a great storyteller..if Celia has another story to tell I'll be the first in line" Arts Hub
"Pacquola adroitly mixes warm self-depreciation, barbed asided, astute insight and a dash of whimsy to fashion a delightfully witty hour.. great" Chortle UK
"Easy to see why people why people were raving..I want to rave about it too. I loved this show" The Groggy Squirrel
Flying Solos Reviews:
The Age review by Craig Platt: Flying Solos
Chortle UK review: Flying Solos
Groggy Squirrel review: Flying Solos
Aussie Theatre review: Flying Solos
Am I Strange? Reviews:
The Age review by Margaret Paul: Am I Strange?Chortle UK review: Am I Strange?
The Groggy Squirrel - Review: Am I Strange?
After the Laughs the Show goes on- The Age
The Jokes Most Likely -The Age
For more information or to send Celia an email to receive regular updates about upcoming shows, click on the buttons above!