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This article is more than 1 year old

Elyse Dodgson, the Royal Court’s international director for the past 22 years, has died aged 73.

In a statement on Twitter on Wednesday, the Royal Court said Dodgson had died suddenly at home on Tuesday in as yet unexplained circumstances.

Dodgson has been hailed as “the queen of international theatre” and the “champion of writers everywhere” after coordinating long-term grassroots projects to develop plays throughout the world.

She joined the Royal Court’s artistic team in 1985, as director of the young people’s theatre, before becoming international director in 1996. Since then she has produced more than 30 new international plays.

Winning plaudits for her ability to nurture and inspire new international writers, Dodgson received the Young Vic Award in 2004 before she was awarded an MBE in 2010 for services to international theatre and young writers overseas.

An article on The Arts Desk earlier this month described how Dodgson helped the Royal Court to bring plays from Ukraine, Chile and Syria back to their roots.

“We are in shock, as we know those of you who are hearing this for the first time will be too,” the Royal Court tweeted. “We regret that the only way we can communicate this is by social media, but it is testament to the extraordinary reach of Elyse, and her work over 30 years, that we have not been able to contact all of the people we want to individually. Please forgive us.

“Over the next few days, weeks and months we will be finding ways to come together to remember Elyse and continue. For now we’ll leave you with Elyse’s revolutionary battle cry: “¡Hasta la victoria siempre!”

In her latest trip abroad, Dodgson visited Peru and Chile, and she tweeted on Sunday:

Elyse Dodgson (@ElyseDodgson) Gracias to everyone who made the @royalcourt in Peru /Chile possible. It’s been an incredible experience for us all @MrLeoButler #nickpayne @fundteatroamil @teatrolaplaza @pebritish hasta pronto in 2019 pic.twitter.com/VLDu5p021c

Dodgson recently instigated a letter signed by major figures in the theatre industry condemning the destruction of a Palestinian cultural centre by the Israeli military.

News of her death sparked an outpouring of grief on Twitter as the theatre community paid its respects. “Elyse Dodgson has had – no exaggeration – a global impact on theatre and playwriting,” tweeted playwright and academic Dan Rebellato. “Love to her friends and family.”

Jacqui Honess-Martin, the theatre director and playwright, wrote: “Elyse Dodgson was just brilliant. She changed British theatre and hundreds of lives around the world in the process. That so many of us feel we owe her so much says everything about her generosity of spirit.”

Artistic director Chris Sonnex posted: “I’m incredibly sad and thinking about how brilliant Elyse Dodgson was. We had many a time joking and laughing. It is incredibly sad. She has such a legacy to be proud of and she will be missed. ‘Silver horses ran down moonbeams in your dark eyes.’”

The dramatist David Eldridge tweeted: “Cruel world, how dare you take Elyse Dodgson. Hard to imagine the Court without her. Hard to imagine world theatre without her. Rest in peace and love to all her friends and family.”