Few performers leave drama school and immediately find themselves starring in one of musical theatre’s most iconic roles. Yet that is exactly what happened to Jac Yarrow.
Since graduating from ArtsEd, Yarrow has established himself as one of the most exciting young performers working in British musical theatre. From leading Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to sharing a stage with some of the industry’s most celebrated names, his career has moved at remarkable speed.
But behind the success lies a story that will feel familiar to many performers: self-doubt, imposter syndrome and the challenge of believing you belong in the room.
Speaking to Theatre Audience Podcast, Yarrow reflects on the lessons he’s learned so far, the mentors who helped shape him and why staying open to opportunity remains one of the most valuable skills an artist can possess.
Living With Imposter Syndrome
For someone who appears so confident on stage, Yarrow speaks surprisingly candidly about insecurity. In fact, imposter syndrome was something he battled from the moment he arrived at ArtsEd. “ArtsEd was my dream school. I remember arriving on day one thinking, ‘These are going to be the most talented kids in the country that I’m now rubbing shoulders with.'” Rather than boosting his confidence, being surrounded by so much talent made him work even harder. “I probably worked a little bit too hard. I was definitely working harder rather than smarter.”
Looking back, he can see how much of that drive was fuelled by a desire to prove himself.
“I spent a lot of time trying to earn respect and trying to prove that I deserved to be there.” Those feelings didn’t disappear when he graduated. If anything, they intensified when he landed the role of Joseph almost immediately after leaving training. “There was a huge amount of imposter syndrome.”
Suddenly, he found himself performing alongside stars he had grown up watching. “I was standing opposite Sheridan Smith and Jason Donovan thinking, ‘How am I here?'” Like many young performers, success didn’t immediately remove self-doubt. It simply changed its shape.
When Preparation Meets Opportunity
Yarrow’s father has always told him that you create your own luck. It’s a philosophy he has carried throughout his career. “My dad always says you create your own luck in life.” While he acknowledges there is always an element of timing involved in any career, he believes preparation plays a huge role. “You have to be prepared and you have to work hard.”
That work ethic was forged during his training and strengthened through opportunities like ArtsEd’s production of Newsies, which proved to be a turning point. “When Newsies happened, I found a bit of confidence.” For the first time, he began to feel ready for the profession waiting beyond drama school.
Not long afterwards, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat arrived. “I left college and suddenly I was playing Joseph.” The speed of that transition was daunting, but it also reinforced the value of staying ready. Because when opportunity arrived, he had spent years preparing for it.
Learning From The People Around You
One of the themes that emerges repeatedly throughout our conversation is gratitude. Yarrow is quick to credit the people who helped him navigate the early stages of his career. “I’ve been very lucky.” Working alongside experienced performers provided an education that no drama school could fully replicate. “There are things you don’t learn at college.”
The realities of professional life, networking, company dynamics and navigating the industry all arrived at once.
Fortunately, there were people willing to help. Jason Donovan became an important mentor throughout the run of Joseph. Alexandra Burke and Linzi Hateley also offered guidance and support. “They’d already been there, done that and got the t-shirt.”
More recently, Yarrow has found himself surrounded by another extraordinary group of performers while celebrating the work of Stephen Sondheim. He still speaks with genuine excitement about working alongside artists he admired long before entering the profession himself. “Every time somebody got announced for the company I got more excited.”
Particularly meaningful was the opportunity to work alongside Bernadette Peters and director Julia McKenzie. “When am I ever going to hear Bernadette Peters sing those songs live again?” For Yarrow, these experiences are a reminder that learning never stops.
No matter where you are in your career, there is always someone to learn from.
Why Ensemble Matters
Although audiences often focus on leading roles, Yarrow’s favourite memories aren’t always about being centre stage. What excites him most is being part of a company. Talking about his experiences performing Sondheim’s work, he lights up when discussing the ensemble. “It feels like an old-school acting company.” He describes a culture where performers support one another, share responsibility and celebrate each other’s moments. “Everybody takes turns doing leading roles and ensemble roles.”
One of his favourite moments in performance isn’t even one of his own songs. It’s watching Joanna Riding perform “Getting Married Today.” “It’s one of the best things I’ve ever seen on stage.” The joy comes from witnessing great performers doing what they do best. “I can stand there and watch the audience responding to her.” It’s a reminder that theatre is ultimately collaborative.
And for Yarrow, that’s where much of the magic lives.
The Moments You’ll Never Forget
Every performer has certain memories that stay with them forever. For Yarrow, two moments stand above all others. The first time he sang “Close Every Door” as Joseph. And the last. “Those are probably the two audience reactions I’ll never forget.” The first performance represented years of dreaming becoming reality. “I was this terrified 20-year-old.” What followed was something he still struggles to put into words. “Everyone stood up and went crazy.”
Years later, when the journey finally came to an end, the emotion returned. “It felt like the perfect bookend.” Although the production occupied four years of his life on and off, those two performances remain the moments that define the experience. “I’ll always feel incredibly lucky that I got to have those moments.”
Keeping An Open Mind
If there’s one lesson Yarrow would pass on to young performers, it’s the importance of staying open.
Open to opportunity.
Open to surprises.
Open to paths you never expected. “Don’t put yourself in a box.”
One of the biggest misconceptions about a career in theatre, he believes, is the idea that it will unfold exactly as planned. In reality, the most important moments are often the ones you never saw coming. “Whatever you think is going to happen probably isn’t going to happen.” Rather than viewing that uncertainty as a negative, Yarrow sees it as one of the profession’s greatest gifts.
The career he imagined for himself at drama school is not the career he has today. And that’s precisely the point. Some of the opportunities that shaped his life were never part of the plan. His advice to young performers is simple: Keep training. Keep learning. Keep working. And don’t place limits on where your career might lead. “Use it or lose it.”
The industry moves quickly, and Yarrow believes growth only comes from continually challenging yourself. “There are amazing things out there to achieve if you remain open to them.” It’s advice that has carried him from a nervous ArtsEd student battling imposter syndrome to one of musical theatre’s most exciting young performers. And if his journey so far proves anything, it’s that the opportunities worth taking are often the ones you never expected to arrive.
