Born and raised in Boorloo/Perth, Joel graduated from the Acting program at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2014.
Joel made their professional stage debut in 2015 as Henry in Next to Normal for Black Swan State Theatre Company, for which they were awarded Best Supporting Actor at the Performing Arts WA Awards. More recently, Joel toured the country with Monkey Baa Theatre Company, performing a multitude of roles in Hitler’s Daughter. Since moving to Ngunnawal/Canberra, Joel has performed in the 2019 development of David Atfield’s Clean (The Street), Wolf Lullaby (Echo Theatre/The Q) and the development of Katie Pollock’s People Inside Me as part of First Seen 2021 (The Street).
Joel’s screen credits include Dan White in Secret City for Foxtel and Len Barwick in the Logie-nominated docudrama The War That Changed Us (ABC/Electric Pictures). Earlier this year, Joel made their feature film debut in The Greenhouse (Thomas Wilson-White/Everyone We Know) which was selected for BFI Flare in London, Frameline in San Francisco and won Best Australian Feature at Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2021.
Joel has been a proud member of Equity since 2014.
THE STREET TALKED TO JOEL HORWOOD DURING CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF JUST WRONG.
HOW DID YOU RESPOND TO DAVID ATFIELD’S NEW WORK IN PROGRESS, JUST WRONG?
David has a remarkable knack for capturing complexities in the human condition. Having read three of David’s plays and seen another (Exclusion, The Street 2018), it is clear how refined and embodied David’s voice is. The way he habitually works in the grey areas of the queer experience, and explores the value of art in society, is both exciting and necessary. Being a queer person and an artist, I’m floored by the way David has articulated so many nuanced aspects of my own experience in Just Wrong. Some parallels are downright scary! I also cannot commend David enough for placing complex queer characters at the centre of his work, rather than on the periphery. Work like this will inspire and instil courage in a new generation. Oh, and knowing David personally, I got a great deal of satisfaction out of seeing him integrate his fanatical love for Eurovision into this play. As they say, write what you know! And David KNOWS Eurovision.
THE WORK IS AN EXPLORATION ON HOW TO MAKE A LIVING BEING AN ARTIST IN OUR TIMES TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR ROLE?
I think, ultimately, Gus is a casualty of the economisation of creativity. He is an expendable asset, with an expiry date that seems unjust. Without giving too much away, his trajectory demonstrates the need for flexibility, especially in these times of rapid development. But I think Gus is also a case study in the importance of staying true to oneself, both creatively and personally. To do otherwise is inviting a life of regret and unfulfilled dreams.
WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHARACTER FOR A NEW WORK?
To be honest, it changes from project to project. The luxury of having access to the writer cannot be understated, as it removes those nagging questions of “is this what the playwright intended for this character?” In any case, for me it comes down to developing a character who works in collaboration with the play’s overarching themes. It always comes back to honouring the text and trying to act as a conduit for the communication of ideas from playwright to audience. Then it’s a matter of shading in the colours between those clearly defined lines.
YOU HAVE WORKED WITH DAVID ATFIELD IN PREVIOUS DEVELOPMENTS? WHAT IS IT LIKE HAVING THE WRITER IN THE ROOM?
Look, sometimes it can be debilitating! I am empathetic by nature (I’m a water sign, it’s not my fault!), and when I feel as though the playwright isn’t happy with how I’m bringing their words to life, it can be hard to shake. With David, that’s never the case. Even when working in a development capacity, where things are shifting constantly, David has an unerring sense of what he wants to say and how he wants to say it. Simultaneously, he’s very open to suggestions and generous with his approach to amendments. It truly feels like a collaborative process, working together as a team to bring the best out of the work.
YOU ALSO WERE PART OF KATIE POLLOCK’S FIRST SEEN SHOWING OF PEOPLE INSIDE ME? WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON THE BENEFITS OF THE STREET’S FIRST SEEN PROGRAM?
Gosh, this interview is turning into a “This Is Your Life” reminder of all the brilliant people I’ve worked with! First, Katie is a gem and a national treasure. It’s a true testament to the work of Caroline and The Street that writers of this calibre feel that First Seen is an appropriate avenue for their creative development. And it’s truly exciting to see how far a script can progress in such a short period. With new Australian work vastly underrepresented in the flood of reimagined international classics on main stages around the country, programs like First Seen are pivotal to ensuring that Australian writing has a future.
WHAT’S ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING ASPECTS OF YOUR WORK AS AN ACTOR?
Getting work in the first place? I mean, living in a country run by a government that places zero value on the Arts doesn’t help. Nor do the innocuous casting choices that see the same five actors in everything. Politics aside, and on a more personal note, I struggle with the transient nature of this profession. As actors, we are always moving from one project to the next, making brief, palpable connections that can be a struggle to maintain. It can become quite isolating, but on the flip side, it’s also very special getting to meet so many other artists.
WHAT KIND OF THEATRE DO YOU WANT TO MAKE?
For most of my 20s, I was adamant that theatre should have something significant to say. I still think that’s important, but if this pandemic has taught me anything, it’s the value of pure entertainment and providing an escape from all the awfulness out there in the world. I still don’t see myself making a pantomime anytime soon, but who knows. With that said, I’m a vehement proponent for representation and facilitating opportunities for marginalised peoples to tell their stories. Our mainstage theatres in this country are still producing very safe, very white, very heteronormative theatre. The tide is shifting, but far too slowly.
HOW HAS COVID-19 IMPACTED ON YOUR WORK?
Like most creatives, it’s been a period of disruption and heartache. But I feel so incredibly lucky to be working on this development in the middle of a lockdown. I’m normally very tech-phobic, but I’ve never had more appreciation for the magic of Zoom! Despite the setbacks, I’ve tried to search for positives throughout this pandemic. My introverted soul is admittedly quite grateful for the solitude, and the time it affords me to write and exercise my creativity. I do miss the electricity of live theatre, though!
WHAT’S INSPIRING YOU CREATIVELY AT THE MOMENT?
The sun starting to thaw my frozen bones, the trees in my courtyard starting to blossom, the sense of community borne from this lockdown bringing a sea of dogs to Yerrabi Pond. There is something about the emergence of spring from the depths of winter that always sets my creativity ablaze. On a less esoteric note, I’ve become obsessed with the YouTube channel, “Never Too Small”. There is some parallel to be drawn between the designers’ economical use of space and my own writing. I’m yet to apply that, but it seems like a great idea. Wait, maybe that’s still pretty esoteric.
WHAT ARE YOU READING AND WATCHING CURRENTLY?
The only correct answer to this question is The White Lotus. What a masterpiece! I mean, that scene. And don’t even get me started on Jennifer Coolidge. I’m also a matter of pages from finishing Memorial, the tender debut novel from Bryan Washington. I’ve been loitering in the last chapter for a few days now. I have a bad habit of delaying the inevitable conclusion of books and television series for as long as possible. I’m just not ready to let go! Don’t make me! Oh, and I’m also watching Survivor, obviously. #teamhayley
JUST WRONG BY DAVID ATFIELD WILL BE FIRST SEEN ONLINE ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2021
STREET TALK 