He made his stage debut in 1926 as Lieutenant Allen in Alf's Button at the Hippodrome Theatre in Margate, Kent.

His London stage debut was as Henry Bevan in The Barretts of Wimpole Street at the Queen's Theatre in 1931.

[3] West's television appearances include Just William (1962), Dr. Finlay's Casebook (1964), No Hiding Place (1965), The Prisoner (1967), Doctor at Large (1971), Please Sir!

[4] He portrayed King Edward VII in 1972 in an episode of the LWT television drama series Upstairs, Downstairs entitled "Guest of Honour", in which the King visited the family for dinner, and also in the BBC television drama series The Life and Times of David Lloyd George in 1981.

His film appearances include A Song for Tomorrow (1948), Bedazzled (1967), Up the Junction (1968), Jane Eyre (1970), The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973), Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)[3][4] and as Geoffrey in The Dresser (1983) .