Sharman Macdonald at Aldeburgh with music by Deirdre Gribbin, and "Lu Lah, Lu Lah" (2010) commissioned for a young all-female cast and performed at the Cheltenham Ladies' College in Cheltenham. Macdonald is married to the actor Will Knightley. They have two children, Caleb and actress Keira Knightley. Sharman Macdonald Sharman Macdonald (born 8 February 1951) is a Scottish playwright, screenwriter, and actress. Macdonald was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Janet Rewat (née Williams) and Joseph Henry Hosgood MacDonald. She has Scottish and Welsh ancestry. Macdonald was educated at the University of Edinburgh, from which she graduated in 1972. She credits fellow
Charlotte Sharman his granddaughter's orphanages. As a child Sharman was physically very frail, and her mother educated her at home because of her delicate constitution. After her home education Sharman worked as a governess with her sister in a school set up by their parents. In 1861 she lodged with Phoebe in 148 Windmill Street, Gravesend, but after her sister's marriage she could no longer carry on teaching. Around this time she became aware of the plight of orphan children. This was highlighted by Charles Dickens who vividly portrayed the horrors of the workhouse, the lot of poor children, and the evil