Welsh actor Alex Beckett, who had been starring as Waitwell in the Donmar Warehouse’s current production of The Way of the World, has died at the age of 36. His sudden death was confirmed by his agent Gavin Denton-Jones and Josie Rourke and Kate Pakenham, the Donmar’s artistic director and executive producer, respectively.
“Everyone at the Donmar and The Way of the World company are completely devastated by this terribly sad news,” Rourke and Pakenham said in a joint statement.
The theatre has canceled performances of the William Congreve comedy for the remainder of the week “as a mark of respect” and to “give some time to the company, who all loved Alex as a fellow actor and a friend.”
A cause of death has not been announced.
Mr. Beckett was known to many in the U.K. for his work on the BBC comedy W1A as Barney Lumsden—a role he first originated on Twenty Twelve. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, he appeared on stage in such productions as Much Ado About Nothing in the West End, the Young Vic’s The Changeling, and Edward II at the National Theatre. His film credits include Survivor, Youth, and the upcoming Mary Queen of Scots, directed by Rourke (now in post-production).
