Esteemed Aussie comedy expat Josh Glanc ended 2024 on a career high.
A sampling of milestones Josh accrued in the past year include his new show ‘Family Man’ being nominated for the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award, recording a short for Channel 4 in the UK, and expanding his global presence with breakout seasons in New York and Los Angeles.
“I don’t do a good enough job of taking stock and celebrating my wins,” Josh reflects.
“I’m a little bit too focused on the next step or what’s around the corner, but if I do take stock, it’s been an incredible year.”
In 2025, London-based Josh embarks on his annual pilgrimage to Australia, bringing ‘Family Man’ to his home country.
This year, he's already done Perth's Fringe World – where the show won a weekly Best Comedy award – and Adelaide Fringe, as well as going back to the UK for the first leg of his tour there. Now, he's returned to our shores. . . Currently playing Melbourne International Comedy Festival before he takes 'Family Man' to Sydney and Brisbane.
It's a wonder Josh has a moment to stop and speak to us – but his time down under is time he values greatly.
“I still like doing the Australian season,” he shares.
“It’s a great place to make new work and once you’ve made new work, it’s a great place to tour it. I think I’ll always be coming back to Australia, it’s an important stop on the touring schedule.”
Like all of Josh’s work, his new hour of comedy tiptoes along the frail border between genius and madness. “I find it really hard to describe what my stuff is,” he says.
“It’s very interactive, it’s full of lots of songs and it’s the unexpected, party, joyful, fun, surprising show that’s typical of my work. Also, moments of sweetness and tenderness but it’s this onslaught of ridiculous stuff that’s happening that is impromptu comedy.
“It’s like a wave of nonsense just washing over people. There is a real energy in the room of 'anything can happen', which is a nice atmosphere to create.”
Beneath the surreal humour and absurd tangents, ‘Family Man’ subtly references Josh’s journey thus far as a professional comedian.
“Weaving among all the bits is pursuing a career as a performer, what performance means and how my relationship with the audience is created and sustained,” he explains.
“It’s looking at me as a performer and what I’m able to build in the course of an hour. It’s not very obvious or overt, just bubbling away amongst all the material, if that makes sense.”
Josh is already thinking about what comes next.
“Someone I work with writing songs for ‘Family Man’, we really enjoy that songwriting collaboration and it’s something I want to lean into more with my next show. So, we’ve got a week of writing set aside,” he reveals.
“Getting the ball rolling for starting to create my next show and what that’s going to look like. It’s always a long process making a show, so starting to think about what my next hour is going to be. Then probably considering some other projects that are important to pursue as well.”
Josh’s career has only gone from strength to strength over the years, largely owing to his prolific creative output that stems from an insatiable drive to produce new work.
“It’s such an interesting thing to think about, success, and the goal posts are always moving,” Josh says.
“I think I’m one of those personalities that will never be satisfied; that kind of drive is important. I just want to continually get better and continually make work that is, while true to my comedy, bringing more people in. I just want to get better and better.”
Josh Glanc plays Factory Theatre (Sydney Comedy Festival) 23-27 April, and Brisbane Powerhouse (Brisbane Comedy Festival) 1-4 May.
