 He played Ivanov in Tom Stoppard's play "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" at the Mermaid Theatre in 1978.From 1990, McDiarmid and Jonathan Kent served as the artistic directors of the Almeida Theatre in Islington, London, gaining the commitment of prominent actresses such as Glenda Jackson and Claire Bloom for their productions.The two men resigned in 2001 with the venue in good shape.