Overview
- Her death was announced on March 12 by the Royal Shakespeare Company, which did not disclose a cause.
- Lapotaire’s six-decade career spanned Bristol Old Vic, the National Theatre, the Young Vic she helped found, and extensive work with the RSC.
- She won the 1979 Olivier and the 1981 Tony for Piaf after the production moved from the RSC to the West End and then Broadway.
- On screen she earned notice as Marie Curie (1977) and later appeared in Downton Abbey (2014) and The Crown (2019).
- She was appointed CBE in 2025 and received the honor at Windsor Castle in February 2026; she is survived by her son, filmmaker Rowan Joffé.