Director Claire van Kampen dies aged 71 on birthday of her husband Mark Rylance

By Naomi Clarke, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Director Claire van Kampen has died aged 71 on the 65th birthday of her husband Mark Rylance after being diagnosed with cancer.

She died in the German town of Kassel surrounded by her family on Saturday morning, a statement shared on behalf of Mark and her daughter Juliet confirmed.

Van Kampen was a concert pianist, composer, playwright, theatre director and worked in various roles at Shakespeare’s Globe for around 20 years.

She was also described as “one of the funniest and (most) inspiring women we have ever known," in the statement.

It added: “We thank her for imbuing our lives with her magic, music, laughter, and love.

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

Van Kampen trained at the Royal College of Music in London where she studied music theory and piano, specialising in the performance of 20th century music.

She went on to have a career as a composer and performer, writing and playing for theatre, radio, television and film soundtracks and the concert hall.

In 1986, she began her theatre career with the Royal Shakespeare Company and with the Royal National Theatre the following year.

She served as artistic associate at Shakespeare’s Globe from 1996 to 2006 when Mark was the artistic director.

Van Kampen later acted as a musical consultant and resident composer to the subsequent artistic director Dominic Dromgoole from 2007 to 2015.

She was also a creative associate of the prestigious Old Vic theatre in London.

Van Kampen was previously married to architect Christopher van Kampen, with whom she had two daughters Juliet and Nataasha.

Her youngest daughter Nataasha, a filmmaker, died aged 28 in 2012 after suffering a brain haemorrhage.