Claire van Kampen, Theater Director, Composer and Wife of Mark Rylance, Dies at 71

by

On a sad note, I woke up today hearing about the passing of Claire van Kampen, a remarkable woman I’ve long admired for her work in theater direction, composition, and being married to the talented actor, Mark Rylance. At the age of 71, her artistic spirit has left us all too soon.

Van Kampen passed away in Kassel, Germany, with her loved ones by her side, after bravely fighting cancer. This information was jointly conveyed by Rylance and their daughter Juliet in a statement, as reported by The Guardian. Regrettably, it was also the day when her husband celebrated his 65th birthday.

The family expresses gratitude for the enchantment, melodies, joy, and affection she brought into our lives. Let’s celebrate, let the bells toll, trumpets sound, as a significant event has occurred. One of our wise and cherished individuals has departed.”

or

“The family acknowledges the magic, music, laughter, and love she shared with us. Ring the bell, blow the horns, something momentous has transpired. A valued elder among us has moved on.

1953 saw the birth of van Kampen in London, England. He pursued his passion for music by studying music theory and piano, with a focus on the interpretation of 20th-century compositions, at the prestigious Royal College of Music in London.

1986 marked the start of her professional theater journey with the Royal Shakespeare Company. The next year, she became a member of the Royal National Theatre.

In the year 2000, the Broadway play True West, written by Sam Shepard, was recognized as her initial Broadway composition. Other notable works to her credit include Boeing-Boeing (2008), La Bête (2010), Twelfth Night (2013), and Richard III (2013). All these productions featured Rylance, with her penning the script for Farinelli and the King (2017) as well. This piece was nominated for a Tony Award in 2018.

During her professional journey, van Kampen held various significant roles. From 1996 to 2006, she was an artistic associate at Shakespeare’s Globe. From 2007 to 2015, she served as both a musical consultant and resident composer under the direction of Dominic Dromgoole. Additionally, she held the position of creative associate at the Old Vic Theatre in London.

Previously, Van Kampen was in marriage with architect Christopher van Kampen. Together they had two daughters named Juliet and Natasha. Sadly, Natasha passed away at the age of 28 in 2012.

Read More

2025-01-19 02:24