Ian Gardiner's journey in the world of theater commenced during his adolescence at Maidstone Grammar School, where he was an active member of the school's dramatic society. At the tender age of 14, he took on the lead role in a production of Henry V, a role famously played by Larry Olivier around the same time. During this period, Ian was also the vice-captain of the school's 1st XV rugby team and resided with his mother, Dr. Anna Gardiner, a general practitioner in Lenham.
As a young man, Ian's passion for the theater only intensified, and he aspired to make a career out of it. His big break arrived in 1954 when he landed the juvenile lead in a West End production of The Love Match, a play that starred Thora Hird and Arthur Askey. It was during this production that Ian met and married the female understudy, Janet Davies, who went on to have a successful acting career, including a notable role as Pike's mother in the classic British sitcom Dad's Army.
Ian continued to work in the theater until 2000, when osteoarthritis and a knee replacement operation forced him to retire.
