Haydn Gwynne dies aged 66

Acclaimed British actress Haydn Gwynne has died at the age of 66.

Her celebrated roles included popular TV series “Drop the Dead Donkey” and “The Windsors”, and on stage in shows including Billy Elliot the Musical, The Audience and City of Angels.

Haydn Gwynne had recently starred in The Great British Bake Off Musical at the Noel Coward Theatre, When Winston Went to War With the Wireless at the Donmar Warehouse, and was included in Cameron Mackintosh’s one-off May 2022 tribute to Stephen Sondheim, called Old Friends.

She had been due to perform in the longer West End run of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends at the Gielgud Theatre but had to pull out of the show ahead of its opening, to be replaced by Clare Burt.

*Haydn Gwynne in Sondheim tribute Old Friends in 2022. Photo by Danny Kaan*

Gwynne’s portrayal of Billy’s dance instructor in the West End and Broadway production of Billy Elliot The Musical earned her Olivier and Tony nominations. She also had Olivier nominations for City of Angels, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and The Threepenny Opera.

In an official statement released on Friday by her agent, they said: “It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Haydn Gwynne, a luminary of both stage and screen, who succumbed to her battle with cancer in the early hours of Friday, October 20. She was surrounded by her cherished sons, close family members, and friends in the hospital. We wish to extend our gratitude to the dedicated medical teams at the Royal Marsden and Brompton Hospitals for their exceptional care during her recent challenging weeks.”