Fiona O'Loughlin Is Woke (In More Ways Than One) In Her 'A Few Of My Favourite Things'

When we ask comedian Fiona O'Loughlin how she prepared the material for her upcoming show, the very last seven-word response we expected to bounce off the Melbourne-based mother's razor-sharp tongue was: "I just woke up from a coma." But it turns out the much-loved comedy matriarch did just wake up from a month-long coma — and she's only now dealing with the intense ramifications.

"Unfortunately, I've been somewhere very dangerous," O'Loughlin tells as she boards a train seemingly packed with screaming schoolgirls. "I've been in a coma for a month, in intensive care, so coming back from that has been very difficult, both physically and psychologically.

"It's about finding something funny and joyful in something so dark. After I recovered physically, I had a complete nervous breakdown. I woke up with thigh-gaps!" she cackles. "Eighty per cent of people in ICU have some level of post-traumatic stress, and I definitely suffered from that. I lost my mind."

"Eighty per cent of people in ICU have some level of post-traumatic stress, and I definitely suffered from that. I lost my mind."

Without going too far into how and why O'Loughlin ended up in a month-long coma with a 7% chance of survival, we're told it was due to symptoms left untreated due, in part, to her well-documented struggle with depression and alcoholism. "I didn't do anything," she informs. "But when the chips are down, our game gets brighter."

She's talking about stand-up comedy; the unvarnished lens through which she's already shared such intensely personal struggles with audiences around the world. "Autobiographical stand-up is the only instrument I play," she tells us. "What happens in my life is all I've got, so I turn it into fodder. I just don't see why it's wrong to talk about it [mental health]. It's my go-to and that's how it's always been."

Having gone through a separation and fought off her demons with alcoholism on a very public platform, O'Loughlin says she's come under fire from a number of family members. "My mother was like, 'Goodness me, why would you want to tell the whole world?' And I just said, 'That's who I am. I am an alcoholic.' Now there isn't a pub I can walk into in all of Australia without someone knowing."

It's perhaps no surprise that O'Loughlin's unapologetic style of swiping through the grit of life strikes such a strong chord with audiences across Australia and around the world. Within minutes of our phone conversation, we find ourselves opening up about our own experiences with mental health and depression; sharing a laugh about the time this scribe farted while attempting suicide as a melodramatic 15-year-old. She exudes fearlessness and, as you take a seat at one of her shows, you know that nothing is off-limits. In an increasingly political-correct society, a real thirst for no-bullshit conversation has grown. But the need for hold-your-sides belly laughter has never been greater. This is precisely why O'Loughlin could very well be a hero of the moment.

In a small and competitive industry such as stand-up comedy, some might be surprised to hear O'Loughlin describe her peers with such love. But, during our conversation, she makes a point of reading out some of the supportive text messages she's received over the years. "We all know what it's like and how lonely we are," she tells. "I've been so comforted and protected by my peers. I think it's because we are so alone in stand-up, there's this unique camaraderie."

With her new show already promising to draw on a truly unique breadth of (somewhat devastating) experiences, there's little doubt that Fiona O'Loughlin has dusted herself off, bandaged her scraped knees and hopped back on the proverbial horse. And, as always, she's hoping some newbies come along for the ride.

"My audience is getting younger and younger," she observes. "I fucking love Gen Y - they would have to be the most informative generation ever." Regardless of your age or familiarity with O'Loughlin's work, as tickets go on sale for her stint at the Brisbane Comedy Festival, take this writer's advice: you'd be downright stupid to miss it.