 He started work as a cabinet maker, and drifted into amateur dramatics.He appeared as a stage actor first in 1903 and worked with the Liverpool Repertory Company from 1919 to 1931, and was with the Old Vic in the mid 1940s.In 1947, Harcourt appeared in the original West End production of the popular musical "Bless the Bride", directed by Wendy Toye.