Since then, he has appeared in West End musicals such as Jukebox, Metropolis (1989), Which Witch (1992), Maddie (1997), The Pajama Game (Best Actor nomination, Toronto), Les Misérables, Miss Saigon and Sunset Boulevard (playing opposite Petula Clark).
He played Tateh in the 2003 London premiere of Ragtime and was nominated for the Laurence Olivier and The Whatsonstage Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
In 1989, Bickley replaced Peter Howitt in the role of Joey Boswell on the BBC sitcom Bread.
In 2000, Bickley made his début at the BBC Promenade Concerts at The Royal Albert Hall, performing in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene and a 70th birthday tribute for Stephen Sondheim.
Bickley completed two seasons for Grange Park Opera: Billy Crocker in Cole Porter’s Anything Goes (2002), and Robert Baker in Leonard Bernstein’s Wonderful Town (2004).
Throughout 2005–06 Bickley undertook a national tour of Cole Porter’s High Society playing the role of C.K.