Image via MICF
2016 marks 10 years since Celia Pacquola started doing stand-up comedy, and she has come a long way since being a finalist in the 2006 Raw Comedy competition. From various television roles to a Barry Award nomination, Pacquola has cemented her place as one of Australia’s most loved comedians, and continues to charm audiences with her enthusiastic energy and killer material.
Having now made it to her ‘Jesus year’, 33-year-old Pacquola uses her new show The Looking Glass to reflect on her life so far, with a particular focus on recent events and observations. She has a shining personality and a contagious cackle which makes everything she says even more entertaining, and her exaggerated facial expressions ensure that even her slightly less funny jokes warrant uncontrollable laughter.
Many of the stories in Pacquola’s show reference her current relationship status: single and happy, or so she tries to convince us. While this is not necessarily original material (many shows in this year’s festival also cover similar themes), her stories are unique and flawlessly delivered, and include some hilariously hard-hitting truths about the possibility of never actually finding that special someone.
Internet dating anecdotes can be tiresome, but not when Pacquola tells them. The description of her eHarmony profile ensures that the show starts off with some hearty laughs, and her tale about an unsuccessful date with a man with a smaller-than-expected body part (it’s not what you think) leaves us wanting her to go on more dates just so she can tell more stories about them.
Pacquola has this charming positivity that makes even her nastier jokes seem lovely. One of the highlights of her show is her analysis of a book by Miranda Kerr which is designed to empower women and increase their self-esteem. She blatantly criticises the entire concept of the book, but does so in a way that maintains her likeability and allows her to come across as a genuine and compassionate person.
Comedians are successful when they mix relatable content with witty jokes, and this combination comes naturally to Pacquola. The imaginary futures she knows she will never have, and the detailed descriptions of them, are funny because the majority of the crowd shares her sentiment, and her epiphany about toe rings is clever, simple humour delivered effortlessly. She does get a little deep at one point with some sad connotations surrounding the father who loves his dog more than his daughter, but this does not take away from the overall hilarity of the show. She also includes some material her fans will have heard before.
Pacquola is no longer a small name in the Melbourne comedy scene, and the fact that she is able to pack out the Comedy Theatre is a testament to her success. She may have been in the industry for a solid ten years already, but she will undoubtedly continue to sell out impressively sized venues for decades to come.
4 stars out of 5
Celia Pacquola – The Looking Glass
The Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
30 March – 13 April
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
www.comedyfestival.com.au
23 March – 17 April
