Mary Shakespeare Mary Shakespeare Mary Shakespeare, née Arden, (c. 1537–1608) was the mother of William Shakespeare. She was the daughter of Wilmcote gentleman farmer Robert Arden, a cadet of the Arden family prominent in Warwickshire since before the Norman Conquest. She was the youngest of eight daughters, and when her father died in 1556 she inherited land at Snitterfield and Wilmcote from her father as a dowry. The house was left to her stepmother Agnes Hill. Richard Shakespeare, the father of John Shakespeare, was a tenant farmer on land owned by her father in Snitterfield. As the daughter of Richard's landlord, she
Annabel Arden In addition, for the English National Opera, she has directed "The Rake’s Progress". At Glyndebourne Festival Opera, she has directed Puccini’s "Gianni Schicchi", Rachmaninov’s "The Miserly Knight," Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore".and Rossini's The Barber of Seville. As well as acting and directing for Théâtre de Complicité, Arden has also worked with plays at the National Theatre, the Arcola, the Royal Court as well as for BBC Radio. Arden was married to playwright Stephen Jeffreys, until his death on 17 September 2018. Awards Annabel Arden Annabel Arden (born 11 November 1959) is a British actress, theatre and opera director, and one of