In a poignant and deeply personal revelation, Sir Richard Eyre, the celebrated British theatre and film director, has disclosed that his beloved wife, Sue Birtwistle, is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. This heartbreaking reality mirrors the narrative he so powerfully depicted in his Oscar-winning 2001 film Iris, which chronicled the decline of novelist Iris Murdoch due to the same condition.
A Painful Parallel to Cinematic Art
Sir Richard, 82, a former artistic director of the National Theatre, directed Iris, featuring Dame Judi Dench's portrayal of Murdoch's tragic descent and Kate Winslet as the novelist in her vibrant youth. Now, he finds himself living through a similar agonising experience with his wife of over five decades. 'My wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's early on in lockdown,' Sir Richard explains. 'Now, five years later, the decline is very conspicuous.'
The Burden of Care and Financial Strain
Sue Birtwistle, 80, is a distinguished television producer renowned for classic costume dramas, including the iconic 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Colin Firth. Sir Richard has been caring for her while maintaining his professional commitments, including directing and adapting Dance of Death, which opens in London this weekend. In May, he will make his directorial debut at the Royal Shakespeare Company with The Tempest, featuring Sir Kenneth Branagh.
'When I'm working, I have carers,' Sir Richard notes, referring to the 24-hour care required. 'It's very, very difficult, and it's a burden in a number of ways, not least financially.' He emphasises the need for greater awareness, stating, 'There's so much attention on cancer and I feel not sufficient attention on Alzheimer's disease and consequent dementia.'
A Gradual and Heartbreaking Loss
The director poignantly describes the insidious nature of the disease: 'There's never a landmark moment at which you can say goodbye to them. Just little by little, you're losing them.' This is not Sir Richard's first encounter with Alzheimer's; his mother Minna also suffered from the condition, an experience that originally inspired him to create Iris.
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