 One of his most famous theatrical roles was opposite Alec Guinness in the stage production of Bridget Boland's "The Prisoner", for which he won the Clarence Derwent Award, and which was later made into a film with Guinness and Jack Hawkins.Willman studied for the stage at the London Theatre Studio which had been set up by Michel St Denis and George Devine in 1935.Working as stage manager for John Gielgud's touring production of "The Beggar's Opera," he took over the role of Macheath at short notice from Michael Redgrave, who and fallen ill and whose usual understudy had suffered a bout of laryngitis.