When Joel Harper-Jackson steps onto the stage at Marylebone Theatre this December, it will mark another milestone in a career defined by versatility and resilience. Starring as Daniel in Michael McKeever’s acclaimed play Daniel’s Husband, Joel brings a deeply personal perspective to a story that asks profound questions about love, commitment, and the choices that shape our lives.
“I’m from Stoke originally,” Joel begins, reflecting on his journey into the industry. “I didn’t really know it was a possibility to do this sort of stuff. My dad was a builder. He wanted me to take over the business. Then I chose music as an option… I said, I want to sing.” That decision led to opera lessons, a scholarship to the Hammond Ballet School, and eventually a musical theatre course. “As much as I did want to do musical theatre, that was kind of like the start of it. But my heart always lay with acting.”
Joel’s determination to avoid being boxed in has shaped his career. “Teachers in the industry like to keep you in a certain box. Oh, you’re that. So you’ll probably just do this sort of work. And I was like, hang on a minute. What if I don’t want to solely do that?” His ambition grew with experience: “Back when I was a kid, I put such a limit on myself. With every year that came, I was like, actually, no, I don’t want to do that. I feel like I can do more.”
That hunger for variety even extended to music. During the pandemic, Joel released his debut album So What Happens Now. “It was generally just something to do,” he says candidly. “It was timed perfectly with Covid. Creatively, I was going up the wall. So thank God I had that to put my focus into.”
For many, Joel’s breakthrough moment came when he unexpectedly stepped into the lead role in Mike Bartlett’s Cock in the West End opposite Jonathan Bailey. “It was very unexpected. I was the understudy, and I thought if I was lucky I might get to go on once or twice” he recalls. “Prior to that, I had played leads and played Charlie in Kinky Boots and all these sort of things. When I was offered the understudy in Cock, my dad and my agent were a little bit on the fence about me doing it. They were worried I was taking a step backwards. But after the two years of Covid we’d just had, a job’s a job fundamentally.”
What followed was a whirlwind, Taron Egerton pulled out of the production citing personal reasons and Joel took over the role permanently,: “Things really did start to change and very quickly. I got an American manager. I was doing interviews with Variety magazine, I was getting nominated for things. I can’t deny it’s made a big difference to my career.”
Now, Joel is preparing to take on Daniel in Daniel’s Husband, a play that begins as a witty comedy before veering into heartbreaking territory. “It’s about a gay couple, Daniel and Mitchell. One of them wants to get married and the other one doesn’t. Fundamentally, it poses the question: is marriage necessary? Should we put such importance on it being necessary?” For Joel, the role resonates on a personal level. “At one time I was Mitchell’s point of view. I didn’t know whether I did believe in marriage and was very cynical of the whole thing. But now I’m engaged to be married to my fiancé. My perspective has changed, so as an actor, it’s a really interesting show to do because I see both sides of the story.”
When Joel first read the script, the connection was immediate. “I saw myself in Daniel. Massively. I don’t think he follows the rules. He beats to the rhythm of his own drum. He’s extremely particular in his work, a very successful architect, and he’s curated this absolutely beautiful home to live in. When I read it, I laughed throughout the first part. And then at the end, I cried my eyes out. I just couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
Rehearsals have already begun, and Joel is full of admiration for his castmates. “Gorgeous,” he says simply. “I know David Bedella. We’ve worked together before and we’ve always got on so well. Luke Fetherston, who plays Mitchell, I’ve known for years. And then playing my mum is Liza Sadovy, it’s funny because looking at us, we do look like mother and son. Raiko Gohara brings such innocence and vulnerability. We’re all so different stylistically, but the melting pot of it all is really lovely.”
So why should audiences book tickets? Joel doesn’t hesitate: “I think anyone that comes to see it will laugh like mad and then cry hysterically by the end. It’s extremely life-affirming. It’s funny, provocative, moving. I genuinely do think that anyone that comes to see this will be thinking about it for the rest of the week.”
Daniel’s Husband runs at Marylebone Theatre from 4 December 2025 to 10 January 2026. Listings and ticket information can be found here.
