Born in Basel, Canton of Basel-Stadt in Switzerland as Rudolf Bernhard Conrath, he attended Realschule and worked as optician in his father's business, then as a canvasser of ads.

He gained first stage experience at Dramatischer Verein Basel with performances as a humorist on occasion of club events and family celebrations.

Further appearances included among many other roles Riccaut in Lessing's "Minna von Barnhelm" at the open-air theater Hertenstein in the summer of 1925, and as Malvolio in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, then on an operetta tour in the Alsace.

The ensemble comprised among others Ernst Bölsterli, Walburga Gmür, Bernard's wife Lisa Lienbach, Peter W. Staub and Willi Stettner; as guests appeared among many others Heinrich Gretler, Emil Hegetschweiler,[1] Alfred Rasser,[2] Schaggi Streuli and Fredy Scheim.

From the late 1940s, at the beginning of the season, the ensemble went yearly on tour in Switzerland, while the parent company held guest performances.