British theatre director Claire van Kampen, wife of Sir Mark Rylance, dies on husband's 65th birthday

18 January 2025, 20:56

British theatre director and composer Claire van Kampen has died, her oscar-winning actor husband Sir Mark Rylance has said.

In a heartbreaking statement, the Wolf Hall star said she died on Saturday following a cancer diagnosis.

Her death coincided with his 65th birthday.

Ms Van Kampen was the first female musical director at the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre in London.

Sir Mark and his daughter Julia described Ms Van Kampen as "one of the funniest and (most) inspiring women we have ever known".

They said: "We thank her for imbuing our lives with her magic, music, laughter, and love.

Read more: Brother of actor Mark Rylance killed in horror crash while cycling in US

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"Ring the bell, sound the trumpets reverie, something is done, something is beginning. One of the great wise ones has passed.

One of Van Kampen’s best known works is Farinelli and The King, which starred Sir Mark and received multiple nominations for Olivier and Tony Awards.

She also worked as a musical consultant and resident composer at the Globe under artistic director Dominic Dromgoole from 2007 to 2015.

Ms Kampen composed the music for BBC series Wolf Hall, which also stars her husband, as well as music for Sir Mark’s performance in the 1989 version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

She also wrote original scores for Broadway productions of 2000’s True West, 2008’s Boeing-Boeing and comedyLa Bete, which came out in 2010.

In 2022,  Sir Mark Rylance’s younger brother died in a cycling accident in California, which his devastated sister revealed in an emotional post online.

Jonathan Waters, known as Jonno, was cycling last Friday when he was hit by an approaching car in the city of Oakland. Emergency services provided treatment at the scene before rushing him to hospital. 

Jonno, a 60-year-old wine expert, sustained severe head injuries and died in hospital the next morning.

His heartbroken sister Susannah Waters shared news of his death on Instagram, saying she was "dehydrated from weeping" after the death of her brother, Jonno, who she described as her "touchstone".

She said: "The spirit and love that poured out of him after meeting him toward people. Even meeting him a few times, people immediately felt they were his friend."