Sir Mark Rylance’s wife Claire Van Kampen has died aged 71, on her husband’s 65th birthday.
Van Kampen died surrounded by her family after being diagnosed with cancer, a statement shared on behalf of Sir Mark and his daughter Juliet confirmed.
Van Kampen was a concert pianist, composer, playwright, theater director and worked in various roles at Shakespeare’s Globe for about 20 years.
She was also described as “one of the funniest and most inspiring women we have ever met,” in the statement.
He added: ‘We thank you for imbuing our lives with your magic, music, laughter and love.
‘Ring the bell, sound the dreaming trumpets, something is done, something begins. One of the great sages has passed away.’
Her theater credits include composing the music for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1989 production of Hamlet, starring Sir Mark, whom she married that same year.
Later in his career, he created original scores for Broadway productions of 2000’s True West, 2008’s Boeing-Boeing, and the 2010 comedy La Bete, as well as adaptations of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Richard III.
Sir Mark Rylance’s wife Claire Van Kampen, right, died aged 71 on her husband’s 65th birthday.
Van Kampen died surrounded by her family after being diagnosed with cancer
Both Rylance and Van Kampen are pictured attending the eighth day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships last year.
Van Kampen also wrote the play Farinelli And The King, in which Sir Mark played King Philip V of Spain and was nominated for several Olivier Awards, including Best New Play, and several Tony Awards.
The director and composer trained at the Royal College of Music in London where she studied music theory and piano, specializing in the interpretation of 20th century music.
She continued her career as a composer and performer, writing and performing soundtracks for theatre, radio, television and film and in concert halls.
In 1986, he began his theater career at the Royal Shakespeare Company and at the Royal National Theater the following year.
She served as artistic associate at Shakespeare’s Globe from 1996 to 2006, when Sir Mark was artistic director.
Van Kampen subsequently acted as musical consultant and composer-in-residence to later artistic director Dominic Dromgoole from 2007 to 2015.
She was also a creative associate at London’s prestigious Old Vic theatre.
Van Kampen was previously married to architect Christopher van Kampen, with whom she had two daughters, Juliet and Nataasha.
His youngest daughter, Nataasha, a filmmaker, died at age 28 in 2012 after suffering a brain hemorrhage.