DAPHNE Levens, right, a prominent figure in amateur theatre, has died, aged 98.

She was born in London, the daughter of Hother and Etheldreda Hanschell.

Following a convent education she went on to Somerville College in 1929, where she read history, marrying Robert Levens, a Classics don at Merton College, in 1933.

The theatre was the dominant passion in Daphne’s life. Although she acted in a number of plays with the university, she found that her main interest was directing.

She also discovered that among the many amateur groups in Oxford — town rather than gown — there was a pool of very gifted people, and it became her ambition to put on a production using the cream of all the societies’ best players.

The opportunity arose when she agreed to produce The Merry Wives of Windsor in Worcester College’s gardens in 1955.

Following its success, it was agreed that further productions should follow, and the City of Oxford Theatre Guild came into being.

Every year for nearly 20 years, her series of Shakespeare productions in college gardens became a central part of her life and a popular feature of Oxford summers.

In addition, there were many other productions — more than 70 in all.

She also wrote theatre reviews for the Oxford Magazine, ran drama courses for the Women’s Institute at Denman College, gave tutorials in Theatre Studies for visiting American students, coached actors for drama school entrance, and became an adjudicator for British Drama League festivals.

Away from the stage, she enjoyed gardening, bridge and watercolour painting.

Her son Andrew died in 1961 and she was widowed in 1976. She leaves two daughters, Karin and Tracy, seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Her funeral is at Oxford Crematorium on Monday, at 1.30pm.