Eager to be an Icon: Fiona O’Loughlin

In her theatrical new show comedian Fiona O’Loughlin declares her desire to be a gay icon. When OUTinPerth asked her if she’ discovered that queers are quite choosy about who qualifies as an icon she confessed,

‘I’m learning the hard way that you’re not supposed to push these things, but that’s really what this show is about.’

The comedian is quick to prove her gay credentials though, rattling off her favourite gay icons as Bette Midler and Cher, while being ‘mad’ for Kathy Griffin and nominating The View’s Joy Behar as a favourite.

Teaming up with young queer comedians Rhys Nicholson and Perth’s Joel Creasey, O’Loughlin’s new show is a much more theatrical production than her previous stand up outings and she is enthusiastic about working with Creasey, who got his big break as her support act a few years ago. For this new production alongside his supporting role Creasey has stepped into the Director’s chair.

‘He works with me for a couple of hours a day and then he says, “I’m off, I’ve got to go, I’m late for the solarium” – it’s all because he’s naked in his new show.’ says O’Loughlin before giving us the inside word that Creasey new buff look on his own tour poster is the result of a good gym routine, not Photoshop.

O’Loughlin explains that the show is about being a performer of a certain age and being desperate to stay relevant. She visits a PR where the experts, played by Creasey and Nicholson, advise to go after the gay audience.

‘It is theatrical [the new show] and there’s a great musical number the boys gave me to do, it’s Here’s to The Ladies Who Lunch from the musical Company and what I’m kind of taking a crack at is my generation, I can’t stand women my age, I find them so boring, all the moaning and groaning about how hard everything is, I call them the Capri-panted Camel-toed Freaks, I don’t want to be their friend anymore I want to be friends with the gays instead.’

Fiona O’Loughlin’s The Divine Miss O is on at The Perth International Comedy Festival on May 18 ad 19, tickets available through BOCS.