Next month, Jackson Paul will be appearing in the Queensland premiere of Angus Cameron’s Australian Open, a fast-paced comedy about tennis and open relationships. Coinciding with the actual tennis season, Australian Open, directed by Hayden Burke and produced by 7th Floor Theatre, is a sharp comedy of manners, and it’s taking centre court at PIP Theatre, Milton, for a limited season.
Jackson plays Lucas, an elite tennis player, alongside a cast that includes Matilda Award winner Sandro Colarelli (Elvis, Love Lust Lost), Lisa Hickey (Children of the Black Skirt, Grand Horizons), Whitney Duff (Neighbours, Dark Vanilla Jungle) and Tye Shepherd (Mariah Carey’s Butterfly Tour, The Mikado).
Jackson took some time out of his busy rehearsal schedule for a chat about life as an actor.
How long have you been acting?
I have been acting in productions for just over two years, but I have been acting in general for around six years when I started doing Drama in Year 11.
What sort of acting training have you undergone so far?
I am currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) at QUT. Prior to that, I completed my Bachelor of Arts majoring in Drama and Film.
What has been your proudest performing arts achievement to date?
It would have been earlier this year when I directed a friend’s show called Maggot Therapy for Underground Theatre Company’s Playground Festival. It was a really full circle moment that made me realise how far I’d come in the past few years.
Do you have any unique skills, professions or an interesting career switch story you can tell us about?
I studied Accounting directly out of school before burning out pretty quickly and leaving the profession. I have also been a sportsperson my whole life. I was pretty dedicated to sports for the first 18 years of my life. I was a tennis and rugby league player for as long as I can remember.
Are there any causes or issues you are particularly passionate about?
Class study and structure have always been my biggest passions in life and creatively. I think people in Australia, whether intentionally or not, are quite ignorant of how prevalent and damaging the class divide is in this country. I grew up very poor, as did all of my friends, and I think quite often the only reason I am here is because of luck. So many people I grew up with never got as lucky as I did, and I don’t want to forget the circumstances of my upbringing or the people who helped define me as a person. There needs to be more voices and stories about poor country kids in our media.
Aside from Australian Open, do you have any other exciting projects coming up?
In July 2025 I am directing Zig-Zag Street for Villanova Players at Ron Hurley Theatre which will be my first time directing a full-length mainstage production.
What can audiences expect when they come to see Australian Open?
I think audiences will have a fun night out at the theatre. But they will also discover that it’s a piece that fundamentally challenges societal expectations around the topics of queerness and the diversity of romantic expression, all told through the lens of comedy. Each character experiences their own unique journey too, which is really great.
Angus Cameron’s Australian Open runs from 8–18 January at PIP Theatre, 20 Park Road Milton 4064.
Tickets are selling fast via the PIP Theatre website.
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Facebook: @7th Floor Theatre
Cover image: Jackson Paul and Tye Shepherd, photo by Colin Bushell.
