For a festive laugh-fest, make sure to head to the Cambridge Corn Exchange for Live At Christmas – we chat with Celya AB ahead of the show
Bringing bags of festive fun to the Corn Exchange this Christmas, the venue will boast a line-up that’s hard to beat. BAFTA winner Dylan Moran and Taskmaster’s Mike Wozniack will headline at Live At Christmas on 15 December, while the duo will be joined by Last Leg regular Rosie Jones and the up-and-coming comedian Celya AB.
Winning best newcomer at the Chortle award 2022, the French-born Birmingham-based Celya has been wave-making on the comedy circuit since she started out in stand-up in 2017. Curious about the comedy life, she braved joining her friend’s gig, before being encouraged to debut at Sutton. Five years later she made her debut at the Edinburgh Fringe, and has caught the eye of the likes of the BBC, becoming a finalist for their New Comedy Award in 2021.
Combining wry observations on the ways of the Brits with onstage charm, this year Celya AB has been on tour with her show Swimming. We caught up with Celya AB ahead of her Corn Exchange appearance.
Having had your Edinburgh Fringe debut delayed by the pandemic, what does it feel like to be emerging into the comedy world post-pandemic?
I wouldn’t say it was necessarily delayed in my case. I had been doing stand up for five years (maybe less with lockdown) when I debuted which felt about right for me. It’s great to be back gigging consistently though and I feel like with the chances of lockdowns diminished the scene has really exploded again in the last few months! It really feels like it’s back.
What’s the strangest gig you’ve done so far?
The first one that comes to mind was a speed dating night when I was really new that had four of us doing comedy during it. There were couples dating everywhere, even on stage. It had the most interesting energy I’ve ever seen at a gig, loads of nervous people eyeing each other up while I desperately tried to get them to listen to me talk about my time living in Birmingham.
You supported St Vincent – what was that like and how did that come about?
I think Annie (St Vincent) loves comedy and usually has a mixture of musicians and comics open for them in the US. It’s an old-school way of opening music gigs – I think it happened a lot in the 80s. It was surreal at first, but I loved it. Her fans were really kind and up for comedy! I received a few lovely messages before each show from them saying they were looking forward to it, so most of them knew that I wasn’t a maverick tech having a go at stand-up.
What makes you excited to be part of this Christmas line-up with Mike Wozniak, Dylan Moran and co?
It’s a great bill with something for everyone, I think. It’s fun to be working with everyone again, especially as the newest act on the line-up. My last gig of the year is looking to be the Exeter date; I imagine it will be a nice way to round off the year. Unless I don’t do well – then I can think about that on Christmas Day.
What makes comedy so great at Christmas?
Christmas gigs are really unpredictable as they mix some of the biggest comedy fans with whoever had to tag along to the office party. I think these will be really fun though, as I imagine there will be a lot of genuine comedy fans in.
What are your ambitions now, having just won best newcomer at the Chortle Awards this year?
I’m working on my second show which I think will be a pivot from the debut. I really care about longevity so I’m looking forward to learning and getting better as I go. I’d love to get something scripted off the ground one day too alongside stand-up. Also, I want to fly a plane with no hands.
