Tributes paid to West End actress Lucinda Shaw

Tributes have been paid to West End actress Lucinda Shaw, whose death was reported on social media on Saturday (19 December).

Shaw, who was Australian, trained at Brent Street Studios in Sydney, where she began her career in musical theatre. Her first principal role was playing The Lady of the Lake in Monty Python's Spamalot in Melbourne.

After relocating to the UK, she quickly established herself as a talent to watch, with credits including Violet in It's A Wonderful Life at the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, The Enchantress in Sleeping Beauty at the Birmingham Hippodrome and Mazeppa in Gypsy at Leicester Curve.

Her West End debut came playing the Diva in Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre, and she was subsequently seen in The Bodyguard, From Here to Eternity and Gypsy (Chichester Festival production). She was involved in workshops for Wonder.Land at the National Theatre and appeared in the film version of London Road, both directed by Rufus Norris. Other credits included playing Tracy in the UK premiere of The Life at Southwark Playhouse.

Ria Jones, who starred opposite her in Sleeping Beauty, tweeted: "We have lost a beautiful soul today and such a talent. I had the pleasure of duetting 12 times a week opposite Lucinda Shaw in Sleeping Beauty. It was pure joy. Gone way too soon. I'm absolutely gutted. A reminder to live each day if ever there was one."

Choreographer Stephen Mear, who worked with her on Gypsy, said: "RIP Lucinda Shaw. Such a wonderful, caring, beautiful talented lady. Sending all my love to all your family."