Cornish farewell for playwright

Nick Darke (l) searching for sea beans on Porthcothan beach

Renowned Cornish author and playwright Nick Darke will be remembered on Friday when he is buried.

Mr Darke, 56, was best known for his play The Dead Monkey, written in 1986 and regularly revived by theatre companies across the UK.

He died of cancer last week and will be buried at St Eval church, near Padstow.

Born in St Eval, Mr Darke worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, and was a key figure in the Cornish Kneehigh Theatre group.

Despite doing a lot of work in London, Mr Darke spent most of his time in his old Cornish stone house on Porthcothan Beach.

The writer was regularly noted by theatre critics to have an "exquisite ear for dialogue", which was usually Cornish.

He had been unwell after suffering a stroke in January 2001.