Haydn Gwynne has died aged 66.
Gwynne appeared in Billy Elliot (both in the West End and on Broadway, garnering an Olivier and Tony nomination and winning a Drama Desk Award for her portrayal of Mrs Wilkinson), Anything Goes, The Threepenny Opera, City of Angels and The Great British Bake Off Musical.
Last spring, she appeared in the special concert staging of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, singing “Ladies Who Lunch”, but pulled out of the current West End production.
Gwynne died in the early hours, surrounded by her family, following a recent cancer diagnosis.
In a statement her agent said: “It is with great sadness we are sharing with you that, following her recent diagnosis with cancer, the star of stage and screen Haydn Gwynne died in hospital in the small hours of Friday 20 October, surrounded by her beloved sons, close family and friends."
Cameron Mackintosh said: “The tragic news that the much loved actress, Haydn Gwynne, has died this morning after a very short illness is an enormous shock; even to those of us involved in Sondheim’s musical celebration Old Friends at the Gielgud, who already knew she was ill and forced to leave rehearsals for a show in which she already had a sensational success at its Gala Premiere last year, stopping the show singing ‘The Ladies Who Lunch’.
“Haydn was a truly wonderful person, as well as a phenomenally talented actress and singer, so it is a double tragedy for everyone to be deprived of both her spectacular talent and her company so abruptly.
“The company of Old Friends is dedicating tonight’s performance to her memory and extraordinary career. As Haydn raised a glass to the audience and said, ‘I would like to propose a toast…’, everyone in the Gielgud Theatre tonight would like to propose a toast to dear Haydn. God bless her.”
What's On Stage has collated more tributes.