Who is Joshua Hauville?
I am a zesty ‘lil’ ball of energy doing my best to tear up stages, screens and phones all around the world. I grew up in Penrith in Western Sydney and bee-lined out of there at 18 to live in Sydney, Melbourne, Paris, Bogota and bop around the world on budget -travel volunteering and backpacking trips and soaking up as much of life as I could.
It took me a while to properly give my creative passions a go, but for the past almost 3 years I have gone all in on comedy, filmmaking and acting. Doing as many random gigs and projects as I can with no money and bucketloads of dreams. I am a resilient little triple-earth fire rat and have been carrying myself through every hurdle to keep the dream alive.
And mamma, I’m coming in hot for MICF with my well-oiled machine of a solo comedy show called Joshy in Paris: where fags are chic. Detailing my experience of escaping Penrith and busting out of life as a lawyer to pursue my dream life in the City of Lights, Love and Leprosy. Emily in Paris but gay and broke. It’s exaggerated, it’s ridiculous and it’s camp as tits.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
I have had so so many jobs. I started as a paper boy when 11, worked in KFC in high school and have since worked as a corporate lawyer, salesperson for Time Out, marketing exec for a Colombian tour company, tour guide, English teacher, every role in hospitality imaginable, events manager, production assistant on TV + Film sets and volunteered in hippy meditation centres all around the world.
All of that to say, what I am doing now is my biggest passion and calling: comedy that makes people cackle and remember that life is literally ridiculous and should never be taken seriously. Not only through stand up and stage but also through filmmaking and acting. I have found my thing and I’m not turning back.
Who inspires you and why?
RuPaul Charles. Watching the early seasons of Drag Race in my room as a teenager is what helped me feel comfortable to come out as gay at 18 living in Penrith, the roughest non-gay place in all of Australia.
Subsequently, anytime I have felt alone or up against it in my pursuit of a creative life as a performer, I find one of RuPaul’s stories or speeches talking about his journey to stardom and hustle in his 20s in a world that wasn’t always open to his form of self expression.
I am inspired by anyone who against all odds makes a name for themselves doing their own thing. When the world seems up against them, their creative voice seems zany or ‘out there’ and they keep going no matter what to build an empire for themselves. It takes courage and deep self belief and that inspires me the most.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Take the absolute piss out of life in such a joyous way that people remember it’s all a silly game. At the end of the day we are all strange flesh balls putting on clothes and pretending to be important. I hope to continue to be a source of light, play and fun to combat the darkness that sometimes consumes our world.
I’ll keep dancing in weird leotards and telling ridiculous, camp jokes on stage in an attempt to give other people permission to be a bit more daring in their self expression and feel a bit more at ease with experiencing play and silliness in adult life.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
I love love love Paris. But have never experienced it as a holiday destination. I lived there as a uni student and later as an adult as a struggling artist. It bitch slapped the absolute shit out of me multiple times but I still can’t help but love that sexy minx.
However, my favourite holidays are actually solo trips off hiking and exploring a new country and immersing myself in nature, skinny dipping in a clear river and dancing under the stars. I’m a little hippie at heart and I love the thrill of a new adventure all by myself.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
If going to my hometown, Penrith, I would take them to the Penrith Panthers Leagues Club – the whole reason I am alive. A true Mecca of Westies and maybe the biggest assortment of pokies in Australia? In Melbourne, I would take them to Carlton Gardens to see all of my favourite trees, roll around in the grass and maybe even jump in a fountain? Who knows!
What are you currently reading?
I keep trying to read the book Kafka on the Shore – because I have personally done many a pilgrimage and so many friends said it would resonate. But lately I have had no spare time – so mostly what I have been reading are scripts I am working on and the French-language version of my comedy show that I’m doing at MICF and Sydney Comedy Festival.
What are you currently listening to?
I am ALWAYS listening to disco, funk and groove. Chaka Khan, Earth Wind & Fire, and Sade are always dominating my eardrums.
Happiness is?
The joy of being able to see yourself expand, develop and grow as a person in the circumstances we have been dealt in our life. We go a work with what we got to make our dreams come true and find happiness and joy in the day-to-day.
Getting true happiness and fulfilment requires going within and confronting the parts of ourselves that hold us back, live in fear and stay small. It’s uncomfortable, it’s painful, it’s scary. But hot damn it’s worth it. My happiest moments have been the times I took a risk and stayed loyal to what was in my heart.
Whether on stage or on a weird solo trip in the mountains of an unknown country. There are always opportunities to share a connection with someone new, a smile or exchange from a stranger, eat a yummy cake, see a beautiful sunset or make people belly laugh on stage while being a big silly ole TIT. And I love all of them equally!
What does the future hold for you?
For the past two years I have been developing a TV series idea that is actually ed to my solo show – same base story but taken to the next level: a gay Aussie haphazardly trying to battle life in Paris. It’s ridiculous, camp and heartfelt. I made a short film of it while living in Paris and have written drafts upon rewrites upon rewrites of scripts and pitch docs.
My goal is to get production or funding involvement in that to make it a reality in the near future. People need some camp, queer Aussie-French nonsense in their life. Addittonally I want to get back overseas to London and Paris with better savings behind me and visas locked in.
I have Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August this year and hoping to relocate with that and keep the dream chugging along on an international scale. After that, the world is my oyster. Just keep being brave, sexy and zany on stages and screens worldwide and give everyone a fat, joyful dose of Joshy.
Joshua stars in Joshy in Paris – which will be presented at The Motley Wherehaus (The Salon), as part of the 2026 Melbourne International Comedy Festival, from 6 – 19 April. For more information, visit: www.comedyfestival.com.au for details.
Image: Joshua Hauville (supplied)