Celia Pacquola in Am I Strange?
The central conceit of Celia Pacquola’s first solo stand-up show Am I Strange? is that, when she clicks her fingers, the lighting instantly changes and the audience is able to ‘see inside her head’, as she gives her inner doubts and insecurities a voice. Behind her is a large velvet cloth to which she affixes her thoughts and inner personalities, slowly accreting a inner picture of herself. This concept is handily introduced in the first half of the show, but oddly put to very little use in the second half. Celia uses this device to chart the dissolution of her relationship with ‘the one’, something that she readily admits could come across as bitter, but instead seems warmly self-deprecating and reflective- although the bitterness certainly lurks just below the surface. There were certainly a lot of laugh-out-loud moments throughout the night, but the female half of the audience naturally seemed to relate a lot more and hence laugh a lot louder, whilst the men in the audience seemed to emit more of a nervous titter as revelations of betrayal became ever more dastardly.
The opening night of the show still had a few technical glitches to work out- when the show hinges on an instant lighting change it follows that any delay in the crossover will cause the performer to falter- however this is a minor complaint which is likely to be ironed out over subsequent performances. So while it is not perfect, you can’t fault the strong central premise, nor the enthusiasm and likability that Celia invests in it over the show, and for that reason alone comes recommended.
Am I Strange? runs for two more nights only, tonight and Thursday night at Gertrude’s on Gertrude street, so catch it while you can.
Visit the Fringe Website for booking details.