[1] In 1982, he played Newbugs in the TV series Young Sherlock: The Mystery of the Manor House opposite Andrew Johns and Michael Irwin.
In 1985 he portrayed the lead character of Pip with the "tousled charm of a young Tommy Steele" in a Peter Coe production of Dicken's "Great Expectations" at the Old Vic Theatre in London opposite Roy Dotrice, Sheila Burrell, Leon Greene and Tony Jay.
[4][5] Country Life noted that Ian McCurrach's "glamorous-looking Pip narrates his childhood experiences as if engaged in a loud oratorical exercise.
Interested in travel, McCurrach took full advantage of his appearances in theatre world tours, visiting unusual destinations such as Burma and Oman.
[1][11] The book is an instructor's guide for the teachers and facilitators who work with those people who have learning disabilities; it is based on the experience of the two authors over a 15-year period in theatre.