| Leslie Eric Evershed-Martin | |
| Honorific Suffix: | CBE |
| Birth Date: | 25 May 1903 |
| Birth Place: | Clapham, London |
| Nationality: | British |
| Occupation: | Theatre impresario, city councillor and optician |
Leslie Eric Evershed-Martin, CBE (1903 - 1991) was a British theatre manager, city councillor and optician, and founder of the Chichester Festival Theatre.[1]
Evershed-Martin was born in Clapham, London in 1903. His father was a bank manager, and he trained as an optician. He was twice Mayor of Chichesterand founded Chichester Players in 1933.[2] In 1959, Evershed-Martin founded the Chichester Festival Theatre, and then successfully raised the funding to see this 'Impossible theatre' built, in 1960.[3] The theatre opened with Laurence Olivier as its first artistic director, and attracted a host of prominent directors during its first two decades.[1] In July 1963 he was recognised with the award of member (serving brother) of the Order of Saint John.[4] He was awarded an OBE in June 1967,[5] and a CBE in June 1990 for his services to theatre.[6]
He was married with two sons and died in 1991.