A “fun-loving” dancer who was a long-standing member of a Sudbury amateur dramatic group has died following a period of ill health.

%image(15287771, type="article-full", alt="Yvonne Glen Picture: KIM RICHARDSON")

Friends of Yvonne Glen, 72, who was a member of Sudbury Musicals Society for more than 20 years, said she would be sorely missed.

In her younger years Yvonne had been a professional dancer, meeting some household names like Sir Bruce Forsyth and Jimmy Tarbuck.

She began dancing at the age of three and by 12 she had been spotted by a professional dance company, De Vere, which had a school in London and put on shows around the UK.

A career highlight for Yvonne, originally from Kent, was when she worked at the Folies Bergere cabaret music hall in Paris.

%image(15287772, type="article-full", alt="Yvonne dancing in "Anything Goes" (2002) Picture: SUDBURY MUSICALS SOCIETY")

Barry Bridges, chairman of Sudbury Musicals Society, said she had been involved in the Sudbury group’s productions right up until her stroke, which struck in January last year.

He said: “She was always the life and soul of every production and will be sorely missed.”

He said Yvonne loved taking part, but wasn’t keen on speaking roles, however she was able to play the lead in Salad Days in 2012 as the main character ‘Troppo’ didn’t speak.

He added: “She was always on the go, a very happy lady and very bubbly.”

%image(15287773, type="article-full", alt="Yvonne publicising "Oliver!" (2008) Picture: SUDBURY MUSICALS SOCIETY")

Good friend of Yvonne’s, Irene Debono, said she was “always smiling and always fun-loving” and she would miss her friendly and cheerful nature.

She said: “She had so many different groups she was part of. She had been part of the running group, the tap group...”

She added: “She was just a big part of the society, really - a smiley face - even though she didn’t like taking big parts. She loved doing the chorus.”

The friends first met when Yvonne was working in Sudbury as a receptionist at the Kingfisher Leisure Centre and it was Irene who then went on to introduce her to the Sudbury Musicals Society.

%image(15287775, type="article-full", alt="Yvonne as Troppo in "Salad Days" (2012) Picture: SUDBURY MUSICALS SOCIETY")

Among her jobs, Yvonne also had a time running the Wheatsheaf pub in Castle Hedingham, Essex.

Yvonne had no children and her third husband George, a dentist, passed away in the spring of 2017. He had also suffered a stroke after years of ill health due to cancer.

Yvonne, who had suffered with ovarian cancer, was moved to Hillside Care Home in Great Cornard following her stroke.

Her well-attended funeral on Tuesday, February 19, even included a performance by the Sudbury Musicals Society.

%image(15287776, type="article-full", alt="Yvonne Glen Picture: SUDBURY MUSICALS SOCIETY")

Yvonne is survived by her mother Joy.