As an actor Neil has played lead roles in several plays, including Orton's Loot & Ruffian On The Stair, Marlowe's Dr Faustus, Shakespeare's A Midsummernight's Dream and Potter's Blue Remembered Hills, as well as bit parts in Britflicks Crime Time and An Urban Ghost Story.

Most recently, Neil has appeared as principal character, Ian Jackson, in Dead Man Walking - a new episode of Sapphire & Steel, starring David Warner, Susannah Harker & David Collings. Available on audio CD from www.doctorwho.co.uk

Neil's prize-winning degree in English and French Literature from Bristol University finally got put to use when Richard T Kelly asked him to play Nero in a London production of Racine's classical tragedy, Britannicus.

Neil offered to write his own new translation of the play, because the Penguin one was "rubbish and unperformable". (Neil's translation was faithful to the Alexandrine & the Unities, and also - most importantly - managed to get loads of Star Wars-isms into it, like "It is your destiny to take sides with the Empire…")

Neil's new translation was performed for three weeks at the Hen & Chickens Theatre, Islington London in December 1995. Neil played the Emperor Nero ("Powerful and compelling performance" - What's On Magazine) Other cast included Nicholas Sidi, Nick Smallman, David Roecliffe, and Julie Bevan (who is the mum of someone who was in Kula Shaker).