Strictly’s Wynne Evans, known for his appearances on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, has a surprising connection to Steven Spielberg and Jurassic Park that saved an old Welsh cinema. Evans, a Carmarthen-born opera singer, gained fame through Go Compare adverts, winning Celebrity MasterChef, and hosting a show on BBC Radio Wales. His popularity soared with his recent Strictly Come Dancing appearances, but it was his mother who made headlines over 30 years ago for her role in securing a screening of Jurassic Park at the cinema she managed.
In 1993, the UK premiere of Jurassic Park was set for Carmarthen’s Lyric Theatre. Mayor Richard Goodridge recounted how Evans’ mother, Elizabeth Evans, informed him that the film might not be shown there. In a determined effort, Goodridge wrote a letter to Spielberg, who ensured a print of the film was allocated to the Lyric Cinema. This led to a special screening a day earlier than the film’s London premiere, thanks to the mayor’s initiative and Mrs. Evans’ persistence in securing the film.
Evans’ brother Mark Llewelyn Evans shared how their mother’s dedication to the cinema, where she ran the building for a minimal fee, led to the successful screening of Jurassic Park, boosting the theatre’s revenue and ensuring its continued operation. The remarkable tale of how Elizabeth Evans saved the cinema was captured in the film “Save the Cinema,” starring Samantha Morton.
In a joyful nod to history, Jurassic Park was re-screened at the Lyric Theatre in 2022, nearly three decades after it first saved the cinema. The enduring legacy of Evans’ family’s involvement with Jurassic Park continues to inspire and delight audiences in Carmarthen.