Claire van Kampen, a celebrated theater director and the wife of actor Mark Rylance, has passed away at the age of 71 following a battle with cancer. In a statement to PEOPLE, Rylance and her daughter Juliet shared that van Kampen died on Saturday, Jan. 18, in Kassel, Germany. The heartfelt announcement noted that she was “surrounded by family” at the time of her passing, which coincided with Rylance’s 65th birthday.

“Claire Louise van Kampen, Lady Rylance, has died this morning, Saturday the 18th of January at 11:47, in the ancient town of Kassel, Germany, surrounded by her family,” the family announced.

“Claire has died of cancer on Mark Rylance’s 65th Birthday. Her youngest daughter having died in 2012, she leaves her eldest daughter, Juliet Rylance, her two husbands, and countless beloved friends in England and America.”

Claire van Kampen (1952–2024) was an acclaimed theater director, playwright, and composer. Born in London, she studied at the Royal College of Music. She studied to be a harpsichordist and composer, specializing in period instruments and music.

Van Kampen’s career began in music, serving as the first female musical director at the National Theatre and the Globe Theatre in London. She gained widespread recognition for integrating historically informed music into theatrical productions, bridging the gap between classical and contemporary audiences. Her compositions were featured in productions at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and on Broadway.

Claire van Kampen joined the Royal National Theatre, where she first met Mark Rylance while serving as musical director for a play in which he performed, according to Sky News U.K. She later collaborated closely with Rylance at the Globe Theatre, serving as associate to the artistic director during her 20-year tenure there.

The couple married in 1989, and Rylance became a stepfather to Claire’s two daughters from her previous marriage to the late Christopher van Kampen. Tragically, her youngest daughter, Nataasha, passed away in 2012 at the age of 28 following a brain hemorrhage, as reported by Sky News.

As a playwright, van Kampen earned critical acclaim for Farinelli and the King, a play she wrote and directed, starring her husband, Mark Rylance. The production, exploring the healing power of music, enjoyed successful runs in London and on Broadway.

Mark Rylance, 65, is an acclaimed English actor, director, and playwright. He is widely regarded as one of the finest stage performers of his generation. Born David Mark Rylance Waters in Ashford, Kent, he grew up in the United States before returning to the U.K. to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

Rylance first gained prominence in the theater, particularly for his work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and at Shakespeare’s Globe, where he served as the founding artistic director from 1995 to 2005. His innovative interpretations of classic works, coupled with his commitment to authenticity, earned him critical acclaim. Notable stage performances include Twelfth Night, Jerusalem, and Richard III.

In film, Rylance achieved international recognition with his Academy Award-winning performance as Rudolf Abel in Bridge of Spies (2015). Other notable roles include Dunkirk (2017), The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), and Don’t Look Up (2021).