From Ethiopian refugee to award-winning comedian: Joe White on the ‘life-saving’ power of laughter

Fresh from sold-out shows at Edinburgh Fringe and performing at the Opera House for Just For Laughs Sydney, Joe White is back for his eighth Fringe World this summer with his award-winning show Ethiopian and Still Not Hungry. An Ethiopian refugee raised by a single mum of six kids, Joe White has experienced more than his share of ups and downs across his journey, and revealed to BRAYDEN EDWARDS how this led him to value the importance of laughter in life.

Congrats on returning to Fringe World for the eighth time this summer! What do you enjoy about Fringe that has brought you back for so many years?

Definitely the people. They come out in numbers, pack the shows out every year, and laugh their butts off. I love Perth. It’s my home and where I started my comedy career, and I truly feel the people get my comedy way more than anywhere in the world—and I have performed in five different countries.

Your journey to becoming a comedian has been quite remarkable. As a young Ethiopian refugee, you must have faced some challenging times. What kind of future do you think you were anticipating when you were young?

When I was young, I didn’t anticipate a future. Every day was a battle to survive. We were homeless. We ate out of bins to survive. We were exposed to the elements and dangers of the night on a regular basis, and I didn’t think myself or my siblings had any future. Migrating to Australia was a lifeline. It gave us hope, safety, and an opportunity to dream and be whatever we wanted. Now I get to watch my family and I thrive, not just survive.

Your show, Ethiopian and Still Not Hungry, details some of this journey. Can comedy open doors and share stories that otherwise might not have been told?

Absolutely! They say, Tragedy + Time = Comedy, and it’s so true. We have done so much healing, and we understand that things happened. We didn’t deserve it, but we lived it, and it’s in the past now. Through my comedy tools, I explore some of the experiences and challenges we overcame, and I add punchlines in there so the audience is not only engaged because I have taken them into a world they may not be familiar with, but they are laughing their butts off. Laughter is the main component of the show. My audience pays me to make them happy, not sad, so this won’t be a Ted Talk, I promise (laughs).

While living in Perth was surely a reprieve from some of the hardest parts of your childhood, it’s not without its ups and downs. What was it that motivated you to step into a life of comedy?

Every comic seems to have a story of hardship for the reason they turned to comedy, and because it helped us, we want to use it to help others. I experienced heartbreak from a relationship that I thought would never end—my first love. We were almost like high school sweethearts, and when it ended, it shook me to my core. I was very sad. I felt alone, isolated, betrayed, and embarrassed. Nothing mattered anymore; I was looking for a life line, a reason to keep going, and by some miracle I found it after doing one open mic. Comedy saved my life. I plan to spend the rest of my life giving it to as many people as possible in the hope that it saves them.

And the first time you took the stage to perform stand-up comedy… What were you feeling?

I thought I was having a heart attack. My heart was pumping out of my chest to the point where I had to use my hands to hold it back in place. All I could think was, “Please don’t let me pass out on stage.” Eventually, I told myself, “It’s just fear, and fear is false evidence appearing real,” which was one of my favourite self-help quotes.

Back then, I was into a lot of self-help, just desperately looking for a chance to be happy, and so doing well at my first gig meant everything to me, and when I got three applause breaks in my first five minutes, I was reborn again. I felt a light ignite, a second chance at being happy. It was one of the best days of my life, only second to the day we were told that we were granted a refugee visa for Perth, Australia.

This passion is still close to your heart as an ambassador for the Katina Woodruff Children’s Foundation, which supports refugee children. What’s something you tell kids who have been through such challenging experiences?

I love what Katina and the foundation do, and they have my full support. I wish I had access to their services when I first arrived in Australia, as it would have made the transition a lot easier. When I meet kids who have been through similar experiences, I always tell them, “It’s okay. You’re safe now. You can dream big and go for it.” This is the advice I would have given my younger self.

What plans have you got for the rest of 2024?

I’m so excited for this year. There’s so much in the works and some of it I can’t talk about, but expect TV, radio, and lots of live shows in Australia and abroad. I’m so excited! Did I say that already?