Reg Evans: “Mac”

British-born Reg Evans developed his love of drama while in the Royal Air Force. After leaving the service, he studied for two years at the London Academy of Music and Drama, followed by work in repertory theatre. Reg built his reputation on character acting via the Chekhov system, which he first discovered in London with Australian teacher Kester Berwick. This work continued over fifty years of film, television stage work in Australia.

Reg immigrated to Australia in the 1960s. His many Australian television roles include guest roles in Homicide, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, Number 96, Division 4, Spyforce, The Evil Touch, A Time for Love, Behind the Legend, and Comedy Playhouse.

He also played regular or recurring roles in later television series: Mr Cocker in the Australian series of Are You Being Served?; Keith Purvis in the television police drama Blue Heelers; and scruffy private detective Howard Simmons in Prisoner.

Reg also appeared in a myriad of iconic Australian films, most notably as the Station Master in Mad Max, but also in Malcolm, Evil Angels, Wake In Fright, Gallipoli, and more recently Japanese Story, Dying Breed and Charlie & Boots.

His first love, Shakespeare, saw him touring Australia with the Young Elizabethan Players, and much later as director of the 2004 Montsalvat Shakespeare Festival. In between, Reg played innumerable roles in many plays for the Alexander Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company, Anthill, Griffin and many others.

Reg was a founding member of the Montsalvat Players, performing works by Dylan Thomas, Charles Dickens and other prominent poets and dramatists. He had been working on local theatre production, The Hero of Queenstown, when the Black Saturday flames claimed his life.