Sylvia Young
English theatre school principal (1939–2025)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sylvia Ruffell OBE (née Bakal; 18 September 1939 – 30 July 2025), known professionally as Sylvia Young,[1] was a British theatre school founder who was the founder and principal of Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, England.[2]
18 September 1939
Sylvia Young | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | Sylvia Bakal 18 September 1939 Hackney, London, England |
| Died | 30 July 2025 (aged 85) |
| Known for | Sylvia Young Theatre School |
| Spouse |
Norman Ruffell (m. 1961) |
| Children | 2, including Frances Ruffelle |
| Relatives | Eliza Doolittle (granddaughter) |
Sylvia Young Theatre School
Young founded her theatre school in 1981 in Drury Lane, London, before moving to its current Marylebone premises in 1983.[3][4] The school is co-educational and provides a combination of academic and vocational classes for children aged 10 to 16 years. The academic curriculum encompasses GCSEs, while the vocational curriculum teaches acting, dance and music.[5][6]
Personal life and death
Young married Norman Ruffell in Hackney, London, in 1961 and had two children, actresses Frances Ruffelle and Alison Ruffelle. Young's granddaughter is pop singer Eliza Doolittle.[7]
Styles and honours
She was the subject of This Is Your Life in December 1998 when she was surprised by Michael Aspel at the Sylvia Young Theatre School.[10] Young was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2005 Birthday Honours for her services to the arts.[11]