Haigh was estranged from his father, an actor, and his mother, Dorothy, a radio broadcaster, raised him.
[4] In the 1960s he moved back to Wellington, as he had decided to become an actor as he no longer wanted to work in teaching.
In 1976 he was one of the founding members of Circa Theatre in Wellington, along with Ray Henwood, Grant Tilly, Susan Wilson, Jean Betts and others.
[8][9][3] The first play he directed was Roger Hall's Middle Age Spread at Circa Theatre in 1977.
[3][9] Haigh went on to act in more television drama with Landfall: A Film About Ourselves, Moynihan and Close to Home.