The man who made Kenneth Branagh: “It’s more difficult to get into RADA than it is to Oxbridge”

Just over 23 years ago, Stephen Evans, a corporate stockbroker bored with City life, took a punt on a promising young actor called Kenneth Branagh. With no previous experience in the arts, Evans put up £10,000 to launch Branagh as a theatrical impresario having read about him in a newspaper article. As Thor is about to hit the screens Evans remembers the young upstart:

“I remember him telling me, ‘I always feel inferior because I didn’t go to university’, and I said, ‘Ken, it’s more difficult to get into RADA than it is to Oxbridge.’ His understanding of Shakespeare is unparalleled.“