Joel Ozborn
The Sydney comedian taking his laughs around the world
Joel knew he wanted to be a comedian since he was a teenager. After going to see comedian and magician The Amazing Johnathan with his dad, Joel was determined to be on stage as a comedian himself. He continued to attend comedy shows over the next few years to inspire himself and network with other comedians.
In high school, Joel made his first stand-up debut at a public speaking competition, where he went away from conventional speeches and delivered a hilarious comedy routine that had students and teachers in stitches. Joel ended up winning the Public Speaking Award, and after refining his craft, performed his own street comedy at Sydney’s Circular Quay which awarded him the “Street Performer of the Year”.
After leaving school, Joel received a fateful opportunity from The Amazing Johnathan to move to America and tour the country with him. Joel quickly adapted his street comedy to better fit the Los Angeles crowd on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. American audiences were amazed to see Joel squeeze his body through a tennis racquet or fire a slingshot at his own face, among other popular routines. Within a few years, Joel opened for The Amazing Johnathan in front of a packed Las Vegas showroom, cementing his love for performing and stand-up comedy.
When he returned to Australia, Joel became a regular in comedy clubs across the country. He joined his old comedy friend Akmal on his first national theatre tour, which included performing inside the Sydney Opera House, just metres away from where he used to perform in Circular Quay. Joel continues to perform around the country, including on American comedian Arj Barker's national theatre tour.
Today, Joel is a regular performer on the comedy circuit, taking his routines to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, The Adelaide Fringe Festival, The Sydney Comedy Festival and The Brisbane Comedy Festival. He has also adapted his comedy to international audiences, having performed to audiences from every part of the globe including America and South East Asia.