Celia Pacquola

The Celia Pacquola three minute interview

Celia Pacquola has always been obsessed with the future, but planned for none of it. She has, however, planned to return to this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe with her most revealing stand-up show to date. Martin Walker emails Celia some questions.

Behind the joke: Midnight Beast, Natan Caton...

Celia Pacquola, The Midnight Beast and Nathan Caton explain how chocolate biscuits, Ke$ha and trying to act cool inspired their routines.

Celia Pacquola, Midnight Beast & Nathan Caton on comedy

Three acts explain how chocolate biscuits, Ke$ha and trying to act cool inspired their routines.

Heckler apologises to comedian Celia Pacquola

An audience member at the Grand Theatre's comedy club has spoken out over the incident which saw him being removed from the venue by police.

2014 Barry Award nominees announced

The nominations for this year's Barry Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival have been announced with a diverse mix of comedic styles making up the shortlist. The seven nominees are (alphabetical order) The Boy with Tape on His Face, Celia Pacquola, Denise Scott, John Kearns, Kraken by Trygve Wakenshaw, Kyle Kinane, Tim Key.

The original, full-length comedy marathon at the Edinburgh festival fringe lasted eight hours, so this 60-minute version is very much a boiled-down affair. Introduced by Chris Ramsey and Jameela Jamil, we're promised the highlights from the 40-plus comedians who took part performing stand-up and sketches. There's an array of talent to choose from, including Adam Riches, Ellie Taylor and Celia Pacquola, plus a couple of old timers - Jimmy Cricket and Phil Kay - as well as newer blood, such as Adam Hess, winner of the 2011 Chortle Student Comedy award.

Celia Pacquola returns to 2012 Edinburgh Fringe

Show taking travel and relationships as starting point.

Radio 4's It's Your Round, hosted by Angus Deayton, is another show that tests the knowledge of a group of eager-to-please comics, and is so aware of its shortcomings that this week's episode began with the disclaimer: "Any similarity between this and other panel games either past or present is something we hope you don't notice." Guests are asked to think up questions based on themes of their own choosing, thus saving producers the bother of hiring writers. This week, Will Smith, the stand-up rather than the Oscar-winning actor, masterminded a series of questions about his birthplace of Jersey, while the Australian comic Celia Pacquola got fellow contestants to pitch a charity through which they might rid themselves of their greatest irritations such as flip-flops or Jennifer Aniston, with Deayton audibly arching his eyebrows throughout. For the guests on the show it was doubtless filler for their CVs; for us it was mere filler.

When Rob Brydon says: "Time now for some music," you may be forgiven for thinking, as opposed to what, exactly?

It's only week two of his new chat show series and he's ­shamelessly grabbed every chance he can get to grab the mic and show off his crooning.

That No 1 Comic Relief single must have gone to his head.

But seriously, Rob, why not just apply to go on The X Factor? We won't think any less of you.

This week, his talking guest is Bill Bailey, who made a career out of combining music and comedy. One duet (yes, there's more than one) involves cowbells and Elvis. Bell-vis, anyone?

There's yet another duet with his other guest, British soul diva Beverley Knight (who's got stories about meeting the Queen and Prince) while Australian comic Celia Pacquola gets to have the stage all to herself.

Two very funny female comics in two weeks? That's one trend we do approve of.

Rob Brydon's cheerful dismantling of the chat-show format continues. After a chinwag with the audience, culminating in a couple being presented with a tin of biscuits for their anniversary, Brydon welcomes Bill Bailey. He's not plugging anything, and Brydon barely interviews him at all before moving on to musical japes: a punked-up show tune, a fantastic Elvis cover with Bailey on Swiss cowbells and, later, a massive horn. In between all that are light but likeable stand-up comic Celia Pacquola, and the persistent Beverley Knight, who has a new covers album to promote, and somehow looks just as good as she did when her first LP came out 16 years ago. Her duet with Brydon at first seems to be one of the most embarrassing TV moments of the decade, but don't worry, there's a gag coming. Finally, Knight blasts out Cuddly Toy by Roachford. Tune!