Jonathan Savage participated as an actor in the 1996 European Directors School at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, where he worked with Christian Popescu of the Romanian National Thatre on Measure for Measure (no other details of the production known). He also worked in the Wolsey Theatre's Theatre in Education department before working as an actor, playing the title role in Macbeth in the first season in the Studio theatre. Prior to that, Savage worked at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds as both an actor and Musical Director.