Rising Star | Jo Foster

Taking it in their stride

In the three years since graduating from ArtsEd in 2021, Jo Foster has firmly made their mark on the West End scene. Their momentum shows no signs of slowing as they prepare to play Oliver in Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s much-anticipated new musical Why Am I So Single? at the Garrick Theatre this summer.

Homegrown talent

Foster’s love of theatre was nurtured from a young age, not only by their family but also by the close-knit local amateur theatre community in Bolton, Lancashire. ‘I loved singing and dancing – it was something I was good at. I was obsessed with Annie (because she’s obviously a camp diva!) and loved a bit of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Oliver! Those were the classics that I watched on DVD constantly – I remember thinking, “I want to do that”. At eight, my mum and dad sent me to drama classes. It was a way to get me out of the house. I was bullied a lot as a child and theatre let me escape by going onstage and doing what I liked to do. I made lifelong friends there.’

Virtual education

The path to drama school was therefore an inevitable one but Foster’s experience at ArtsEd was heavily affected by the Covid pandemic of 2020-01. ‘I went and looked round ArtsEd [in Chiswick, London] before I applied. It felt so classy and I thought, “I’m gonna be here one day” – and so I worked hard, auditioned and made it happen. It’s what I wanted in terms of training, but then, when the pandemic hit, half of that training had to be completely online. This is wild to think about now – we could only allow six agents to see our third-year shows and our showcases had to be done virtually. It was very bittersweet as we didn’t get that big final send-off but, looking back, I wouldn’t be where I am now without those years at drama school.’

The road to the West End

Within a year of graduating, Foster came full circle when they were cast in Rent at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester – a venue not far from home. Soon after, they made their National Theatre debut in the Rufus Norris-directed Hex, which was a real eye-opener. ‘The Olivier stage is so big, it’s insane – we walked out there, and it felt like such an accomplishment after how tough our drama school experience was.’ Soon after, Foster collaborated for a second time with director Luke Sheppard, making their West End debut in & Juliet, and then again in Just For One Day at the Old Vic. ‘Working with Luke was just amazing – he really allows you to have fun and be creative. I’ve been able to bring myself to the characters and that’s something I never thought I’d be able to do.’

Rocking out: In Just For One Day, directed by Luke Sheppard, at the Old Vic (image credit: Manuel Harlan)

Accepting and embracing their gender expression

Foster was cast in SIX co-creator Lucy Moss’s production of Legally Blonde at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in 2022 – the production received a lot of attention due to several cuts and changes from the original, particularly the freedom afforded to many of the actors’ gender identities. Not only was this production Foster’s first encounter with Moss but it was also instrumental in accepting their own gender expression. ‘We all really came together, as we did get a bit of hate from places like Twitter – and it wasn’t about the work, they were personal attacks. During my time on that show, I started to come to terms with my nonbinary identity – I felt less afraid in the loving environment we had as a cast. I remember going to Lucy and saying that I didn’t feel comfortable playing he/him roles – she sat me down and we had an amazing convo. She made me feel so held and safe. We talked through changes to my part to make me feel more comfortable. I appreciated that so much. But in the wider industry, casting can be a nightmare for non-binary actors. It ’s so easy to make changes to roles so they fit for non-binary actors – I’m so grateful to my agent because he always asks: “Does it matter what this person looks like and what their gender is?” Nine times out of 10, it doesn’t.’

Research and development

Following Legally Blonde, Moss mentioned a project in the works, but little did Foster expect to be getting the call to take part in the R&D for Moss’s next musical with Toby Marlow. ‘The weird thing is, when you’re doing workshops and R&Ds, you don’t really think about the future – as an actor you’re hired for that time, so once it ’s over you move on. I did the readthrough with Lizzy Connolly; we understood it and really had fun with it. I got asked to do it again at the workshop at Sadler’s Wells and it was so amazing to put it on its feet and see how far it had come. The material is so funny, it ’s so relatable and so clever – there isn’t anything else like it. I can’t wait to take it to the West End – it’s going to be insane!’

Jo Foster and the cast of Why Am I So Single? (image credit: Matt Crockett)

As told to Jonathan Whiting

Why Am I So Single? plays at the Garrick Theatre until 13 February 2025 – visit thegarricktheatre.co.uk