SIR Mark Rylance's wife Claire Van Kampen has died aged 71. She passed away on Saturday on what is her husband's 65th birthday surrounded by her family after being diagnosed with cancer. Claire was a concert pianist, composer, playwright and theatre director.
![[Claire van Kampen and Sir Mark Rylance at The Old Vic Bicentenary Ball.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/l-sir-mark-rylance-attend-964730166.jpg?strip=all&w=382)
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.
![[Sir Mark Rylance with his wife and daughter at Buckingham Palace after being knighted.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/l-daughter-juliet-r-holds-337995311.jpg?strip=all&w=635)
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.”. Her theatre credits include composing the music for the 1989 Royal Shakespeare Company production of Hamlet starring Sir Mark, whom she married that same year.
![[Sir Mark Rylance and Claire van Kampen at a press night party.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/sir-mark-rylance-l-claire-964730164.jpg?strip=all&w=432)
Later in her career she created original scores for Broadway productions of 2000’s True West, 2008’s Boeing-Boeing and 2010 comedy La Bete, as well as adaptations of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and Richard III. Van Kampen also wrote the play Farinelli And The King which saw Sir Mark star as King Philippe V of Spain and was nominated for several Olivier Awards including best new play, and a number of Tony Awards.
The director and composer 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.
