After a 14 year hiatus, Australian improv series Thank God You’re Here was rejuvenated in 2023 for a whole new generation to bask in the unpredictable comedy stylings of some of Australia’s (and the world’s) most loved comedians.
Hosted by national treasure Celia Pacquola, the series is back in 2024 for a brand new round of sending your favourites “through the blue door” to uncover what unexpected scenarious await.
As the show sets its premiere, Peter Gray spoke with Celia about her favourite memories of last year’s series, if she would personally want to participate, and what has surprised her the most.
Congratulations on the new season of Thank God You’re Here.
Thank you. Thank you.
Just looking back on your first season, was there any particular skit that stood out for you as a personal favourite?
Well, there’s a few highlights. Luke McGregor coming on is one. Both because he’s my best friend in the entire world, and knowing we were going to dress him up as a Game of Thrones character brought me joy. Not only on the night, but in the weeks leading up to it. Anytime I was having a rough day I just remembered what Luke was doing (laughs).
I just love the part of the show that it’s me and my mates up there. Geraldine Hickey, she’s another close friend of mine, and that was such a beautiful moment because it was the episode that Judith Lucy was the guest judge. She’s one of my comedy heroes, and it was this moment on stage where, after Geraldine’s scenario, where I was thinking, “Not only am I up here with two women that I love that are incredibly funny, but it’s national television, prime time, and there’s three women over 40.” It’s just not a thing. That was cool.
Ross Noble. Again, huge fan, and him coming on the show as just a whirlwind in a shoebox was amazing. And Virginia Gay, riding the bike onto the set and just blowing everyone’s minds. You just never know what scenes are going to kick off. Also discovering Guy Montgomery. That man is a genius! That’s the thing about this show, when he came on everyone was asking “Who is this guy?” He’s so good at (comedy). He came on the show about 2 or 3 times, and he’s just unshakeable. You couldn’t think of anything funnier if you had written a script.
There’s actually a lot (of highlights). I could go on and on. I do really love that the show is a platform for people who are out there doing great comedy stuff that the mainstream might not have heard of, you know?
What’s the week-to-week process like of creating an episode?
It’s months of writing and building the sets, and the detail on those costumes is incredible, but it is a week turnaround. I have nothing to do with who’s booked or what they’re going to do, but I’m very happy with the choices made so far (laughs). I’m delighted. I discover it all the day before.
But it’s an episode a week, filmed in front of a live studio audience, maybe 450 people? Something like that. And it’s filmed like a live theatrical production. There’s no stop-starting. There’s no re-dos. What you see is what you get. That’s why it’s so important that there’s no technical fuck-ups (laughs), because you can’t do it again.
This is a story from before my time on the show, it’s one that Tony Martin tells, where he was in a scene as part of a SWAT Team. They burst the door in and a wall exploded, and there was a dog, and there was all this stuff. He found out afterwards backstage that more stuff was supposed to come in. The cue was missed, and a whole other band of guys and a car, or something like that, were completely missed. But it all just never happened. You can’t do it again. You just have all the preparation and you hope for the best.
That also then really speaks to the professionalism of the cast. Watching the show, the fact that none of them break character is wildly impressive.
Oh yeah, they do have the toughest job. They’re not allowed to laugh and they have to keep things moving. Particularly with someone like Ross Noble. Oh my gosh, you couldn’t pay me enough to be in a scene with him. He’s so funny. He’s like a toddler. He’s like a toddler who’s had a bunch of Smarties. Someone really has to keep him together. They really do have the hardest job. I’m allowed to laugh though (laughs). But they really do become heroes.
The fact that Ross Noble’s seeming random ramblings are all then linked back to each other? To be in his mind would be an experience.
That’s the thing. That’s what’s so incredible about watching the different minds work. Like, Guy Montgomery comes out with fully formed (jokes). With Ross you think it’s not going anywhere, and he just grabs onto the smallest detail. You question as to where it’s going. But then “Boom” it connects back to his original joke.
Was there a skit that you felt like you would’ve personally excelled in?
Let me think about this. That’s hard to say. There are some that I’d love to play in. It’s like a theme park in that way. Or an escape room. Great places to hang out in. There is one from this season that I thought I’d like to do. Last season? I wouldn’t want to do Game of Thrones. I would want to do something magical or period (though). I don’t want to be a real estate agent, because I have played a real estate agent heaps (laughs). I’d want a costume and I’d want a wig. The same with Julia Zemiro, she always wanted a costume.
It’s not good for me to think about it, because I will never go through the door. It hurts my heart (laughs). I will tell you though, I’ve been doing a bunch of interviews, and this radio interview just made me do a Thank God You’re Here skit on the radio.
Oh, shit!
Yeah (laughs). I was not prepared for it, but I think I did quite well. They really sprung it on me.
They had a script and you were just improvising on the spot?
They had a door sound effect, and they said “Thank God you’re here at the stadium. You’re going to sing your famous song…”
And with the first episode tonight, I know Sam Pang is involved. I am deeply interested in seeing how that turns out. Was he someone that surprised you?
I was surprised with how easily he said yes. I thought there’d be no way he’d ever do it. I don’t know what’s going on with Sam at the moment. He’s one of my very close friends, and he’s just up for anything. Like, “Yeah, I’ll try it.” Like, with the Logies? He doesn’t need to do it, but he figures “Why not?” It’s a challenge. It’s fun. I’m into it. I love him so much. He’s like Luke, it just makes me happy to see him on stage. I can’t wait for you to see him in his silly costume. You’ll see my reaction when he walks out (laughs).
Because whilst I know what the scene is, I purposely don’t look at the costumes. I love the surprise of seeing them walk around the corner at the same time as the audience. Because with Sam, you don’t know how it’s going to go because he’s such a smart arse.
I always laugh at the fact that it’s kind of mean too (laughs). Like, they walk out in this outfit and I laugh at them saying “Look at your silly outfit”, and they’ve had nothing to do with it. Like, if you picked out an outfit and I said that, you’d think “Fair enough, I chose this.” But none of them choose what they’re wearing here. But it’s all done with love. Everyone accepts that what they are about to do is brave and silly and very scary, and none of us want to do it. As much as we’re giving you shit, we are impressed.
How did that first season come about for you? Did you have to pitch yourself? Did they ask you? How did those conversations generate?
I have a really great relationship with them (Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Michael Hirsch and Rob Sitch), because of Utopia and Thank God You’re Here. They’re still my comedy heroes. I still think “Holy shit, that’s Rob Sitch!” But I had just had a baby, and Michael Hirsch took me out for a cup of tea, and I thought we were going to talk about Utopia and the baby, and how that was going to work. But he said “Thank God You’re Here is coming back”, and my heart sank because I thought I was going to be walking through that door (laughs), but then he asked if I’d be interested in hosting.
I just immediately thought “I’m doing it.” I never wanted to host. I didn’t want to be in charge or be responsible. But with this my mind quickly crunched the numbers and I knew I could do it. It’s not about me. There was no way I could say no. But I had no clue, so I went from not knowing it existed to agreeing to host it within 5 minutes.
We’ve obviously said goodbye to Rosehaven. And a few years ago you were in a film called The Breaker Upperers, which is one of the funniest films I have seen. Is writing and acting, whether it’s a film or another TV project on the horizon for you?
Oh, yes. And it always is. It’s just finding the time to do it. Luke and I would love to be able to write something else together. And having been through Rosehaven I am just being more selective with my time, which is a very lucky position to be in. I know how much time is dedicated to making a show. I do like writing and acting, and I loved doing my new stand-up show (“I’m As Surprised As You Are”), but that means I now won’t be doing that for a while. I need years between shows so I can build life. There’s only so many nights out I can do with my little baby so small.
I would love it if (Thank God You’re Here) keeps going, because what a thrill it is for 2-3 months of the year, in Melbourne, to just go and play funny buggers with my mates.
Thank God You’re Here returns August 14th, 2024 on Channel 10 and 10 Play.
