Jac Yarrow: who is Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat?

Last month, big Joseph news heralded the appearance of a brand new talent in the form of Jac Yarrow. The Welsh Valleys boy will be taking on the titular role in the revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat this year, starring alongside Jason Donovan and Sheridan Smith. But who exactly is the new Joseph? Here we break down a little more about Jac.

Name: Jac Yarrow

Age: 21

Place of birth: Creigiau, Wales

Role playing: Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Wait… but I thought Jason Donovan was in this Joseph. Yes he is.

So you mean JD isn't playing Joseph? No. That would be silly. Donovan took on the role at the age of 23 in 1991 and scored a number one single off the back of it. We do love JD, but he's a little old for Joseph. He's playing the Pharaoh.

Ah. So we still get to see JD onstage. Fine. What has Jac been in before?
Not much! He's an Arts Educational School student, and starred in their hit production of Newsies this year. He was much lauded as Jack Kelly and caught the eyes of many.

No doubt! Was Andrew Lloyd Webber himself there? Not ALW, but producer Michael Harrison, who saw him and saw star material.

So he's still at drama school? Yep! This is his last year. He'll begin in the role of Joseph a month before he graduates.

Is Joseph Jac's professional debut? Yes, although he has performed as part of the ensemble for West Side Story BBC Proms and at the 2018 Olivier Awards.

Was he just offered the part once they'd seen him in Newsies? No! He had to impress Laurence Connor the show's director in three auditions and the casting had to be ultimately approved by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

Has he ever starred in the show before? Funnily enough, yes. He played the title role of Joseph at the age of seven in his Saturday stage group.

Does starring as Joseph mean Jac will be famous forevermore? Well, no, obviously not. Jason Donovan turned round his career by starring as Joseph in the '90s, becoming closely associated for a very long time with his loincloth portrayal. But the role doesn't mean immediate glory. It does, however, mean that Jac gets a huge head start boost, fresh out of drama school, which will likely make the world his oyster.

What did Jac himself say? "I can't quite believe it. Here I am, 21 years old, still at drama school and come June I'll be standing centre stage at the prestigious London Palladium, singing the iconic music and lyrics of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. My dream came true."