Elizabeth: An Inspiration.
Liz, 'The Lyric'
Theatre Manager and Artistic Director
Elizabeth Evans was born in Carmarthen on the 16th of September 1944, the daughter of Myrtle Llewelyn, a native of the town, and Louis Gentile, a Belgian army officer and plantation owner. She grew up in Carmarthen and was a product of Queen Elizabeth Grammar School for Girls. She became interested in music and the performing arts from an early age, studying classical ballet under Violet Ellis and carving her long association with the Carmarthen Amateur Operatic Society. In 1960 she began her training as a hairdresser and wig maker at the Langley Hairdressing School in Swansea and later went on to work as a stage make-up artist.
After many years of performing, Elizabeth began her long association with youth
theatre in Carmarthen in 1978 when she was invited to become a voluntary youth
leader at the Carmarthen Further Education Centre. 
She realised that the young people in the youth club needed new motivation in order to achieve better self
discipline, broaden their horizons and help them to achieve their goals in what
ever walk of life they would chose to pursue. Elizabeth knew that being involved
with music and drama would help these children achieve their dreams, so, with no
budget and a group of young people who had no real desire to perform, she
managed to persuade them to join with her and stage a production of Snow White
at Carmarthen Town Hall. The production played to packed houses and was a great
success both artistically with the community and more importantly with the
children – and so was born the Carmarthen Youth Opera.
The company grew from strength to strength and after six more years of successful productions and with special dispensation from the Really Useful Company Elizabeth achieved one of her dreams and staged a fantastic production of Jesus Christ Superstar. So successful was the production that she was invited to bring it to the Waterford International Festival; it also became the subject of a film by the BBC and was later staged, by invitation of the Bishop, in the ultimate venue for this piece, at St. David's Cathedral. By now Elizabeth had grown tired of the cramped working conditions at the Town Hall and decided that, if she were to have a real impact upon the artistic life of Carmarthen, then the town should have a Theatre. Along with her band of helpers, she managed to acquire the keys of the Lyric theatre, which the Council had already planned to turn it into a shopping centre. She patched up the building and the youth opera began to stage their productions there.
With her natural magnetism, she was soon able to persuade a whole host of stars from both television and theatre to come and perform in this little more than a derelict theatre. The great opera singer Sir Geraint Evans said on his first visit to the theatre to see Jesus Christ Superstar, " Well, you've asked me to come to a derelict cinema to watch a bunch of kids perform a rock opera, I don't know quite what to expect!" Sir Geraint later became an avid supporter of Elizabeth, the Youth Opera and the Lyric Theatre. When the council turned down her applications for funding to renovate the building, Elizabeth went over their heads and took her application to the Secretary of State.
In no time at all she had secured European Union funding and the theatre was refurbished to its former glory, but now complete with all the modern technology of an up to date theatre. In 1989, Elizabeth was awarded an MBE for her services to both Theatre and Youth, and since then the theatre and the Youth Opera have both grown to be more successful than anyone, other than Elizabeth, could ever have dreamed of.
In 1999, she achieved another of her dreams when her beloved Youth Opera were invited to perform at the NODA 100 anniversary celebrations at the London Palladium. Countless members of the Youth Opera have been touched by her enthusiasm, charisma and her endless ability to see good in all. She was always delighted when her youngsters went on to do well but was especially delighted when they chose to pursue a career in the performing arts. Today you can see dozens of her old protégés on stage in West End musicals, in the great opera houses of the world, making a career in straight theatre, working in the technical side of theatre, on radio and television.
Her last production was Les Miserables in 2004 which was due to have been performed at the Waterford Festival but, due to ill health, she was unable to go.
She touched the lives of thousands of young children and had she lived longer, she would have undoubtedly touched the lives of many thousands more.
Her brightest stars performed a selection from all the shows that she directed in a tribute Memorial Concert at the Lyric Theatre on the 3rd April 2005, with a Black Tie Dinner on the 1st April 2005 to formally launch the Elizabeth Evans Trust.
The Trust provides scholarships for young people between the ages of 16 & 26 who wish to make a career in the performing arts. All donations and application forms should be sent to: The Trust Secretary, The Elizabeth Evans Trust, Gwynne House, 6 Quay Street, Carmarthen SA31 3AD
For any additional information, please Email: The Secretary