Alec Guinness and Cleo Sylvestre in Wise Child, 1967
We mourn the loss of Cleo Sylvestre, who has died aged 79. In 1967, aged only 19, Sylvestre appeared alongside Sir Alec Guinness in Wise Child, Simon Gray’s first play, at the Wyndham’s Theatre. Amongst her many wonderful performances on the stage and for television, she later became the first black actress to play a leading role at the National Theatre.
