Meet Fiona Cauley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Fiona Cauley.

Hi Fiona, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I actually got into stand-up by accident.

In 2019, I went through a bad breakup about a week before Valentine’s day. My friend who always wanted me to try standup was throwing a house party, a sort of anti-valentines day party.

A day before the party, I saw a flyer with my name on it: “Stand-up Comedian Fiona Cauley”. I can’t express the panic that sent me into; I had never even written a joke on paper at that point.

Somehow, my friend convinced me to show up. I drank enough to get that microphone in my hand and just started telling stories.

I couldn’t believe how well it went, but I swore up and down I would never do standup again because that was hands down the scariest thing I had ever experienced, and that comes from someone who had recently been diagnosed with progressive neurological disease.

A few months later, I was in a clinical trial in Atlanta and had to drive up the night before the trial. A different friend of mine came with me because we were in college and obviously saw this as an opportunity to party in Atlanta on the clinical trials dime. She and I went bar hopping, and at the end of the night, we decided to try and see some comedy–the first place to pop up on Google was The Punchline.

Towards the end of the show, I got up to go to the bathroom. When I came back, the host was pulling a bucket spot. At the time, I had no idea what this meant and learned very quickly that one of the comics couldn’t make it so people put their names in a bucket in hopes of getting some stage time.

When the host pulled my name, I was convinced this was a mistake because I absolutely did not put my name in there. My friend looked at me and said, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t think you’d actually get picked!” So yet again, I was forced into standup. I was even more terrified (and drunk) than the first time, but I did think this might be something I could do.

For the rest of 2019, I got to an open mic only a handful of times and was not able to shake that stage fright. Then the pandemic hit. I moved to back to Nashville from Chattanooga for a job and just isolated myself for a little over a year. About 9 months ago, I decided to do my first open mic in 2 years.

At that mic, I got booked for my first paid show and have not stopped performing since. Making my way onto the Zanies stage had been a dream that seemed incredibly unattainable until now. The road was rocky, but I am very grateful for my friends who forced me to keep doing this along the way.

The most important part of doing standup for me is using this platform to normalize living with a disability in your 20s. I feel that the concept is so foreign to people because we don’t hear the day-to-day bull shit that disabled women deal with. I’ve had a lot of people tell me I’m a “dark comedian” but I’m really not.

I think my life and situation are really upsetting for onlookers but I’m just shedding some light on a topic that desperately needs it.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Oh man, there are so many. We could start with the title of “Stand-up” Comedian. I generally get carried on stage like a baby and placed in a chair. Before you ask, no I do not pay them. When I got into comedy, I hadn’t considered the physical challenges that would come with it.

I have been fortunate enough to have other comics around that are happy to do my heavy lifting. Also, the way electric wheelchairs are made does not work with the travel and required energy of doing standup. I’ve had two wheelchairs break since starting all of this. These manufacturers need to step up their game.

Physical obstacles? Seems like a silly question. Literally existing is a physical obstacle.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Well, there are so few physically disabled women featured in comedy. There’s not a clear path in this industry for me to follow because there are so few of us–which is exciting and terrifying.

I did a show recently, and afterward, a woman who teaches performing arts classes to underprivileged kids approached me. She asked me if I’d be interested in speaking to a group of these kids with disabilities because they didn’t feel that there was a place for them in the performing arts.

This broke my heart having felt this way throughout my comedy career. But this is THE point. I want people with disabilities to have no fear in reaching whatever goals they have regardless of both physical and social obstacles.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
What a loaded question. Obviously, I’ve had some BAD luck in my time, but just as much good has happened to me. Do you know how people say if you lose one ability it heightens your other senses?

Well, I can’t walk, so I do believe my sense of humor is heightened because of it. (So dumb, I can’t believe I just said that.)

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @fionacauley
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CapabletheSeries