Joshy in Paris turns expat struggles into comedy gold at Adelaide Fringe and soon Sydney

Goodbye Emily in Paris clichés and Parisian fantasies, enter Joshy in Paris, the hilariously gritty tale of Joshua Hauville, a gay Australian corporate lawyer who completely overhauls his life and moves to Paris to pursue a career as an actor, filmmaker and comedian. It offers a refreshingly honest look at what it’s really like to move across the world, to a place with a new language and culture.

Before we meet Joshy, we are greeted by the Pierre character. The perfect French caricature, adorned in a red beret and a tinsel scarf, he asks if we are feeling sexy. He teaches us the French curseword “Oh la vache”, which literally means “oh the cow”, and is something which will pop up throughout the show. This sets the tone for the absurd, farcical show that will follow. 

The set is simple and the show is aided with projections whether it be the Australian Olympian that we’d rather forget, Raygun; or some 80s aerobics clips. These only add to the hilarity of what Joshy is performing on stage. 

The show is split into three parts, each treating different elements of Joshy’s experience in Paris. He speaks of what propelled him to ditch his corporate legal career and move to Paris, language learning apps that don’t teach you anything useful, hookups with Frenchmen gone wrong, and existential crises (it’s the right country for it after all). It’s a high energy hour of non-stop laughter; Joshy in Paris will give you a great ab workout. 

Via a baguette, named the Virgin Stick, audience members are given the option to interrupt the show at a moment of their choosing and make Joshy dance to Madonna’s Like a Virgin. Why? Who knows, no rhyme or reason, but it doesn’t matter. It just adds to the ridiculousness of it all. 

Joshua Hauville shows himself to be a very talented actor, comedian and producer in this one man show, which had the audience in fits of laughter pretty much from beginning to end. 

Joshy in Paris is the perfect antidote to the nauseating Emily in Paris, and well worth seeing whether you’re French, Francophile, or just like good, original, wacky comedy.