Celia Pacquola’s show certainly starts with a bang. Well, a bang of the drums anyway. Her entry music is Diana Ross’s I’m Coming Out and the exuberant, bouncy rhythm sets the tone for the next hour. Let Me Know How It All Works Out explores the randomness of life, though there is nothing random about this beautifully written, thoughtfully delivered piece.
Pacquola’s problem, she explains, is that she likes to know the future. She loves the captions at the end of movies which tell the audience what happened to the characters. But this obsession means that for the last ten years she has been hooked on visiting psychics. She kind of knows that it is bullshit but she can’t resist an amulet here, some astrology there. She even sticks amethysts in her bra, which can drop out at awkward moments.
One visit to a palm reader at a festival, however, prompted a potentially life-changing prediction. Pacquola neatly paints a poignant yet comic picture of her distress at the news and the subsequent trip to the hospital. “Did you get a referral?” asks the doctor. Well, sort of. She is very good with language. This may be the first comedy show I've ever seen that utilises the word "decoupage".
The central story, which builds to satisfying finish, is knitted together by various comical digressions, including a case of online mistaken identity, tales of her relationship woes and a few bed impressions – trust me, they are better than they sound. The laughs ripple regularly through the audience. You can see why this picked up a Barry Award nomination at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and the Amused Moose Laughter Award 2014 in Edinburgh this summer.
Pacquola has an extremely winning personality and she needed it last night. It was one of those occasions when there was a, how can I put this? oh, I know, bell end in the audience, who seemed to want to have a one-to-one conversation with the performer mid-gig. Pacquola handled it really well. One good thing came out of her “chat” with him though. She explained the show's title that she doesn't normally explain. "Let me know how it all works out" was something a psychic said to her - you’d have thought they would know the answer themselves.
Celia Pacquola is at Soho Theatre until November 1. Tickets here.
