The Looking Glass

Celia Pacquola spends much of her time on stage explaining why she is perfectly fine with being a single, thirty-three-year-old who eats block cheese like an apple, even if her own eHarmony profile suggests otherwise. What makes this hour work is how she takes the well-worn material of modern singlehood and spikes it with specific, physical frustration. The standout sequence of the show is her thorough dismantling of supermodel Miranda Kerr’s self-help book, Treasure Yourself, where Pacquola points out the absurdity of a genetically blessed millionaire giving self-esteem advice to regular teenagers.

Filmed at the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne as part of the ‘One Night Stan’ stand-up series, The Looking Glass captured Pacquola at a major peak in her Australian television career. At the time of its release in 2017, she was already starring in the comedies Utopia and Rosehaven, the latter of which she co-created. Her stage presence here reflects that polished, television-ready timing, yet she retains the club-honed vulnerability that built her stand-up reputation over the preceding decade. She dances through observations about Melbourne’s dual airports, the horrors of spooning, and underwhelming romantic encounters with a rapid-fire rhythm.