In 2011, McArdle played the role of Agathon in Emperor and Galilean by Henrik Ibsen at the National Theatre. He was also Robin Hood in the 2011 RSC production of The Legend, adapted by Ella Hickson.
In 2012, he starred as Harold Abrahams in Chariots of Fire, Mike Bartlett's stage adaptation of the film of the same title, which opened at London's Hampstead Theatre 9 May and transferred to the West End on 23 June, running through 5 January 2013.
In 2014 he played King James I of Scotland in Rona Munro's King James I, which was presented at the Edinburgh International Festival and the National Theatre.
In 2016 McArdle won the Ian Charleson Award for his 2015 performance as Platonov in Platonov at the Chichester Festival Theatre
