From his professional theatre debut in 1953, Bate's theatre roles included: his first
West End appearance in
Inherit the Wind (St Martin's) 1960,
Treasure Island (Mermaid) 1960,
Happy Family (Hampstead) 1966,
Much Ado About Nothing and
Silence (RSC Aldwych) 1969.
Find Your Way Home (Open Space Theatre) 1970,
Eden End (tour) 1972,
Economic Necessity (Haymarket Leicester) 1973,
Getting Away with Murder (Comedy) 1976,
Shadow Box (Cambridge) 1979,
The Old Jest (tour) 1980, and
A Flea in her Ear (Plymouth Theatre Co) 1980.
Little Lies (Wyndhams) 1983,
Master Class (tour) 1984,
The Deep Blue Sea (Theatre Royal Haymarket) 1988,
Relative Values (Chichester Festival Theatre and Savoy) 1993–94. ==Television==