Acclaimed actor Sir Antony Sher passed away on Thursday 2 December.

Sher left South Africa for London in 1968 and in 2000 he was made a Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE) for his services to theatre and writing.

He was also part of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Prince Charles in his capacity as President of the theatre body paid tribute to Sher. Prince Charles said: “I had the great joy and privilege of knowing him for many years, and admired him enormously for the consummate skill and passion he brought to every role…My most treasured memory of him was as Falstaff in a brilliant production of Greg Doran’s. I feel particularly blessed to have known him, but we have all lost a giant of the stage at the height of his genius.”

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The spokesperson for the Baxter Theatre Fahiem Stellenboom also paid tribute to the theatre legend: “Sher last performed at The Baxter in 2009 in the role of Prospero, opposite John Kani as Caliban in The Tempest, a Baxter Theatre Centre and Royal Shakespeare Company collaboration, featuring a star-studded cast, directed by Janice Honeyman. After its world premiere in Cape Town, it transferred to the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon and then travelled to five other cities in the UK.”
Stellenboom added: “In 2005 he’s one-man play Primo, directed by veteran British actor and director Richard Wilcox, created a box-office sensation when it sold out before it opened at the Baxter Studio. He received the Fleur du Cap best actor award for his performance as Primo Levi.”

The BBC reports that Sher’s husband Gregory Doran had been caring for him during his period of illness. Doran who is also part of the Royal Shakespeare Company will is on compassionate leave as reported by the broadcaster.