His first professional stage credit occurred just weeks after graduation, when he appeared in the summer of 2006 as Mosby in the Elizabethan-era play Arden of Faversham at the White Bear Theatre in London.
[5] That December, he appeared as Horst opposite theatre veteran Alan Cumming in a production of Bent, by Martin Sherman, at Trafalgar Studios in London.
[9][10] In February 2007, New took on the role of Louis in The Reporter, a play by Nicholas Wright about the mysterious suicide of BBC journalist David James Mossman in 1971.
David Benedict in Variety called New's Louis "nervy, charged-up but controlled", and said the "strain of the relationship's illegality creates the play's strongest sequence.
"[12] Philip Fisher for The British Theatre Guide had equally good things to say, noting that "New, who received universal plaudits for his performance opposite Alan Cumming in Bent once again shows real talent as Louis.
[18] Charles Spencer, writing for The Daily Telegraph, was harsh in his appraisal: "...in Chris New's performance, apart from an opening sequence in unconvincing drag, there is no attempt to capture Viola's femininity.
David Benedict, writing in Variety, said Bartlett brought a "mature emotional intelligence...to one of Shakespeare's most-produced plays", and found much to praise in New's characterization of Viola.
The male-playing-female-playing male conceit, he said, relieves New "of the distracting business of allowing auds to see how well or ill he pulls off the task of female impersonation.
"[21] New subsequently starred as Simon Bliss in a July 2008 revival of Noël Coward's 1924 comedy, Hay Fever at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, England.
Critic Mark Powell wrote in Metro News that "It's hard to see how this reasonably plush production could have been cast much better as Belinda Lang and Chris New...arguably grate the most joyously as the passive-aggressive mother and son..."[22] Alfred Hickling in The Guardian also enjoyed New's work, noting that he played Simon Bliss "like [an] overgrown toddler[] in evening wear",[23] while Natalie Anglesey in The Stage praised his performance as "exuberant".
[2] On 23 and 24 April 2010 New joined a Young Vic production of the dance-play Pictures From an Exhibition (based on a musical suite by Modest Mussorgsky) at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in Islington, London.
His incessant vacillation is perfectly illustrated in the childish manner with which he folds his abdication papers into a crown, as if the realm of England were something that fell out of a cracker.
"[30] David Chadderton, writing for The British Theatre Guide, found New equally praiseworthy: "The production is held together by a superb pairing of Chris New as Edward and Samuel Collings as Gaveston and later as the sinister murderer Lightborn.
"[31] Interestingly, although New has not necessarily sought out gay-themed plays or characters, Ben Walker in Attitude magazine noted in 2011 that it's this work which has attracted the most acclaim.
[33] After an absence from the stage for nearly a year, New appeared in the Chris Dunkley play Smallholding at the Nuffield Theatre at the University of Southampton's Highfield Campus.
David Penrose, writing for the Portsmouth News, said that New and co-star Matti Houghton provided performances of "energy and great emotional weight.
[42] New played the part of pilot Lars Koch in Ferdinand von Schirach’s courtroom drama Terror at the Brisbane Festival in September 2017.
He played the Cardinal in a modern dress production of John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi, directed by Maria Aberg, at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.
The RSC warned its audience stating: "Please note The Duchess of Malfi contains violence, scenes that some people may find distressing, and a lot of blood!
New suspects he was turned down because of his sexuality, but cautioned, "There could be a million reasons why you might not get a job and gay people have to be careful about blaming [homophobia], because they're reinforcing their own closet door.
New was cast alongside actor Scott Chambers and actress Yasmin Paige in the drama, which focuses on two brothers squatting on a piece of land who come into conflict with the new landowner.
[51] Worried about the impact of being known as a "gay actor" on his career, he discussed the issue with Bent co-star Alan Cumming (who has been open about his bisexuality for decades).