Main content

Celia Pacquola

Radio Comedy fan Celia Pacquola opens up about how she came to feel good about society again.

Identify yourself, please!

I spent the festival losing things all over the city; my wallet, sunglasses, joke book, dignity.
Celia Pacquola

Celia Pacquola, stand-up.

Oh I’m having flashbacks to getting in trouble at school; "Celia! Stand up and explain why you’re pouring that glue on the floor."

You’ve been plucked from the Edinburgh Fringe and dropped onto Radio 4. Is there anything you’ve had to do to make your performance work for the airwaves?

I didn’t realise how many of my jokes were visual. I still think I’m going to leave in a little bit of visual stuff, it’s good for people to use their imagination.

Would you like to be involved with radio in the future?

We don’t have a real tradition of comedy on the radio in Australia, I was so excited when I started discovering shows here. My favourites would be Cowards and Bleak Expectations. Hilarious.

Speaking of the Fringe, can you tell us any stories from this year’s festival?

Well, it seems like I spent the festival losing things all over the city; my wallet, sunglasses, joke book, dignity. But one by one they were all returned to me, except the last one, it really made me feel good about society again. I can recommend it.

Did you see any other acts at the festival that you think we should investigate?

Heaps. Although I always would have liked to see more, I did get to see some incredible shows including Tony Law, Sara Pascoe and my personal highlight, ‘A Young Man Dressed As A Gorilla Dressed As An Old Man Sits Rocking In A Rocking Chair For Fifty-Six Minutes And Then Leaves Four’. Yes. That is a real thing.

Edinburgh aside, is there anything else we might recognise you from?

I’ve done a few TV spots in the UK including Chris Addison’s Show & Tell, Russell Howard’s Good News and the upcoming series of Don’t Sit in the Front Row. Otherwise, you might have seen me in my local internet café. I’m in there a lot. I’m in there now.

Finally, let’s have the all-important ‘careers talk'... Where do you see yourself in five years?

Hopefully where I am now, but with a cat. If I can continue to make a living from comedy, whether that’s through stand up, writing or acting and avoiding going back to being a waitress, I’ll be very happy indeed.

Clips

Sorry, this clip is not currently available

Celia Pacquola

Find out more about Aussie-native stand-up Celia Pacquola.

Keep up with Celia