Celia Pacquola

Details

Celia Pacquola first burst onto the Melbourne comedy scene in 2006. After only a handful of gigs 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 Network Ten’s 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 Nov 2008 Celia also performed stand up on Rove Live.

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 continued her small screen appearances in 2010
on The 7pm Project, Spicks and Specks, Good News Week, Sleuth 101 and in a guest acting role in series 3 of The Librarians for ABC TV.

Celia brought an exciting new show to both the 2010 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Sydney Comedy Festival. Flying Solos entirely sold out both seasons (including added shows). Adding to the numerous 4-star reviews, Celia headed to Edinburgh Fringe Festival again with this uplifting and incredibly funny show! She received eleven 4-star reviews, critical acclaim and was warmly received by her audiences with her story of Flying Solos.

Celia again hit the road for Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow in 2010, performing 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 for the Festival.

In 2011 Celia plays EJ, one of the main characters in the ABC TV black comedy series, LAID, written by Marieke Hardy and Kirsty Fisher.

Celia continues to perform stand up around the world, including London, Ireland, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia.

“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

TELEVISION

Talkin Bout Your Generation Guest Network 10 2011
LAID EJ ABC1 2011
The Chelsea Lately Show Guest E! 2011
Show & Tell (runthrough) Guest Avalon Television 2011
The Librarian 3 Indigo ABC TV 2010
Spicks & Specks Guest ABC TV 2010
Sleuth 101 Abby ABC TV 2010
Good New Week Guest Network Ten 2010
7pm Project Guest Network Ten 2010
Spicks & Specks Guest ABC TV 2009
Good News Week Guest Network Ten 2009
Rove Stand Up Network Ten 2009
ADbc Guest SBS 2009
9am guest Network Ten 2009
Rove Stand Up Network Ten 2008
The Friday Show (pilot) Guest Channel Seven 2004

Writing

Ask Rhod additional material BBC1 2011
Russell Howards Good News – VT’s Writer/Performer BBC3/Avalon Television 2010
Good News Week Writer Network Ten 2008-10
The Comedy Hour writer ABC Radio 2008

Theatre and Live Performance

Flying Solos Writer/Performer Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2010
Flying Solos Writer/Performer Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2010
This Was The Year That Was Performer Sydney Opera House 2009
Am I Strange? Writer/Performer Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2009
Am I Strange? Writer/Performer Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2009
Celia Pacquola is…hating Alison Bice Performer Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2008
Miss (you) Melbourne Performer Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2007

Radio, Music & Voice Recordings

7 Day Sunday Guest Radio 5 Live 2011
Shappi Talk Performer BBC Radio 4 2010
Fox Summer Breakfast Presenter Fox FM 2008-09
The Comedy Hour Presenter ABC Radio 2008
Red Hot Go Presenter Fox FM 2007-08

Journalism

The Age newspaper Regular Columnist 2009

Awards

The Age Critics Award Best Australian Act (Am I Strange?) 2009
Best Comedy Melbourne Fringe Festival (Am I Strange?) 2008
Best First Time Entrant Raw Comedy Open Mic Awards 2006