He originally trained to be an accountant in New Zealand, but decided to change his career path in 1950 when he made his stage debut as Sebastian in "Twelfth Night". He moved to London in 1950 and studied acting there at the Old Vic Theatre. He appeared in The Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company's celebrated 1956–1958 season of productions in Stratford, which included "Hamlet", "Love's Labour's Lost", "The Merchant of Venice", "Julius Caesar" and "The Tempest". He went on to have such varied stage roles as Bob (narrator) in "Irma la Douce", Ratty in "Toad of Toad Hall" and Jean-Paul Marat in "Marat/Sade".