Maxine Evans is a Welsh actress who has worked extensively in television and theatre roles. She is best known for playing Rhian in the
Sky1
Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989 ...
TV comedy drama series ''
Stella
Stella or STELLA may refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Stella'' (1921 film), directed by Edwin J. Collins
* ''Stella'' (1943 film), with Zully Moreno
* ''Stella'' (1950 film), with Ann Sheridan and Victor Mature
* ''Stella'' (1955 ...
''. and is also well known for appearing in one episode of the spin-off series of ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' called ''
Torchwood
''Torchwood'' is a British-American science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect i ...
'' as her role of Helen Sherman in the episode "
Countrycide" with actor
Owen Teale
Owen Teale (born 20 May 1961) is a Welsh character actor having appeared in many films, including ''Robin Hood'' (1991), '' The Hawk'' (1993), ''King Arthur'' (2004), '' The Last Legion'' (2007), '' Tolkien'' (2019), and '' Dream Horse'' (2020) ...
. Maxine also played the character of Mrs Busby in the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
drama
Call The Midwife
''Call the Midwife'' is a British period drama television series about a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The principal cast of the show has included Jessica Raine, Miranda Hart, ...
Evans's career as a director started on stage at the Glasgow Tron Theatre in 1996. A play by
Sharman Macdonald
Sharman S. Macdonald (born 8 February 1951) is a Scottish playwright, screenwriter, and actress.
Early life & education
Macdonald was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Janet Rewat (née Williams) and Joseph Henry Hosgood MacDonald. She has Scott ...
was underway, when the director was unable to continue Maxine was drafted from actor to actor/director to get the show to the opening night. Two years later Maxine directed her first Short Film, in which she was nominated for Best Director at the
Cork Film Festival
Cork International Film Festival (CIFF), also known the Cork Film Festival (), is a film festival held annually in Cork City, Ireland. It was established in 1956 as part of An Tóstal, and is Ireland's oldest and largest film festival. It is typ ...
. A year later she started directing for television on the drama ''
Nuts and Bolts''. She had started as script writer and head story-liner on the show the year before when it won a Royal Television Society Award. She continued to storyline, write and direct over the shows next three series.
During her last year on ''Nuts and Bolts'', Evans was asked to take over as the
series editor on ''
Crossroads
Crossroads is a junction where four roads meet.
Crossroads, crossroad, cross road(s) or similar may also refer to:
Film and television Films
* ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa
* ''Cross Roads'' (film), a ...
''. Eight months later she moved into the story office of ''
Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...
''.
She has also directed a musical feature film ''Rain: An Original Musical''. She worked on the YouTube comedy soap ''
Storyline'' as director/producer. In theatre, her
Olivier
Olivier is the French form of the given name Oliver. It may refer to:
* Olivier (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Olivier (surname), a list of people
* Château Olivier, a Bordeaux winery
*Olivier, Louisiana, a rural popula ...
-nominated production of ''The Revlon Girl'' first enjoyed sell out runs at the
Edinburgh Festival
__NOTOC__
This is a list of Arts festival, arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the ...
and London, winning Best New Play at the
Off West End Awards before being nominated for Outstanding Achievement at the 2018 Olivier Awards.
Early life and training
Maxine Evans was born 9 November 1966 in
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
and grew up in the village of Seven Sisters. Maxine was a member of the
West Glamorgan Youth Theatre and the
National Youth Theatre of Wales
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
, where she acted alongside
Ruth Jones
Ruth Alexandra Elisabeth Jones (born 22 September 1966) is a Welsh actress, comedian, writer and producer. She co-wrote and co-starred in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom ''Gavin & Stacey'' (2007–2010, 2019, 2024), for which she won the B ...
. Maxine went on to study at the
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music school, music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz al ...
, where one of her classmates was
Daniel Craig
Daniel Wroughton Craig (born 2 March 1968) is an English actor. His accolades include two National Board of Review Awards, in addition to nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards.
...
, who later played
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
,
.
[IMD]
/ref>
Career
In 2006 Evans had a role in the ''Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'' spin-off ''Torchwood
''Torchwood'' is a British-American science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect i ...
'', appearing in the episode " Countrycide" as Helen Sherman, a Human cannibalism, cannibal who lived in the Brecon Beacons
The Brecon Beacons (; ) are a mountain range in Wales. The range includes South Wales's highest mountain, Pen y Fan (), its twin summit Corn Du (), and Craig Gwaun Taf (), which are the three highest peaks in the range. The Brecon Beacons ha ...
with her husband Evan Sherman, portrayed by Owen Teale
Owen Teale (born 20 May 1961) is a Welsh character actor having appeared in many films, including ''Robin Hood'' (1991), '' The Hawk'' (1993), ''King Arthur'' (2004), '' The Last Legion'' (2007), '' Tolkien'' (2019), and '' Dream Horse'' (2020) ...
, who worked alongside Evan and other villagers to get those passing by ready for harvest.
In the Sky1
Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989 ...
TV Series ''Stella'', she plays the part of Rhian, who pushes a dog around in a pram and hasn't had a shower for some time. She was at school with Stella and already has seven grandchildren, despite being only 42.
She also appeared as a semi regular character Mrs Busby in the BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
drama Call The Midwife
''Call the Midwife'' is a British period drama television series about a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The principal cast of the show has included Jessica Raine, Miranda Hart, ...
.
She has also worked extensively behind the camera too. First writing, directing and as the head story-liner on the Royal Television Society Awards
The Royal Television Society Programme Awards, (often referred to as the RTS Awards) seek to recognise programmes or individuals who have made a positive and material contribution to their genre: either because their content or originality in for ...
winning welsh drama '' Nuts and Bolts''. She went on to be the series editor on ''Crossroads
Crossroads is a junction where four roads meet.
Crossroads, crossroad, cross road(s) or similar may also refer to:
Film and television Films
* ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa
* ''Cross Roads'' (film), a ...
'' and story-liner on ''Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...
''.
Evans's production of '' The Revlon Girl'' written by Neil Docking won Best New Play the Off West End Awards and was nominated for Outstanding Achievement at the Olivier Awards
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in West End theatre, professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of We ...
in 2018.
Personal life
Maxine met her husband Neil Docking while still at Youth Theatre in South Wales. She has no children of her own and talks about her struggles with infertility https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/stellas-maxine-evans-how-knew-9535020
She talks about how she is over the moon of the role she has in ''Stella
Stella or STELLA may refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Stella'' (1921 film), directed by Edwin J. Collins
* ''Stella'' (1943 film), with Zully Moreno
* ''Stella'' (1950 film), with Ann Sheridan and Victor Mature
* ''Stella'' (1955 ...
'', in which she plays a 42-year-old grandmother of seven: "I have two Staffordshire bull terriers that I love to pieces so I was overjoyed when I found out that the dog that I push around in a pram is a staff".
Film and television
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Maxine
Living people
Welsh television actresses
1966 births