Fiona O'Loughlin: Spirited (Tales from an Angel in a Bottle)

• Claire Sawers
• 8 August 2011

This article is from 2011.

Bloody funny, just don’t show her the Bloody Marys

An Irish-Australian who loves to get drunk? Now there’s a novel idea. Don’t be fooled though, Fiona O’Loughlin strides comfortably through what should be a cliché minefield, and finds comedy gold in the true story of her struggle with alcoholism. Her wicked, ‘couldn’t give a rat’s arse’ sense of mischief steers the show clear of any schmaltzy, overly earnest moments, as she looks back at the ‘red flag’ episodes that led to her hitting rock bottom about two years ago, and realising she needed to get sober.

Expertly taking the piss out of the Oprah/Dr Phil school of navel-gazing, hating the 19-year-old goody goody girl who (unnecessarily) attends her AA meetings (‘her rock bottom story was totally shithouse,’ she adds with an eye-roll), and reminiscing about the horrible day when the Duke of Edinburgh told her off for behaving inappropriately, she is an effortlessly smooth and relaxed storyteller who chuckles through a good deal of her own material. But there’s a bravery and honesty to her show that adds an extra something to chew on. Candour, wisdom and desert-dry wit make this a smart and very funny confession.

Gilded Balloon Teviot, 622 6552, until 28 Aug (not 15), 9pm, £10–£11 (£9–£10).