Nick Darke

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Nick Darke born Nicholas Temperley Watson Darke (August 29, 1948 - June 10, 2005) was best known as playwright but also known as a writer, poet, beachcomber, politician, broadcaster, film maker and chairman of St Eval Parish Council.

Darke was born at St Eval, near Padstow in Cornwall, and lived most of his life in Porthcothan. He attended Newquay grammar school and trained as an actor at the Rose Bruford College in Kent. He wrote over 25 stage plays which have been performed both within Cornwall and nationally.

Many of his plays reflect Cornish society and culture such as the tin mining, countryside, fishermen and the quirky nature of country living.

His last work was The Wrecking Season (2004) which he wrote and narrated, and was a documentary charting the lives of Cornish beachcombers, of which he himself was one.

He was made a Bard of the Cornish Gorsedd in 1996 taking the Bardic name Scryfer Gwaryow ('Writer of Plays'). [1]

He died in 2004 aged 56. He had been unwell since suffering a stroke in January 2001. His son Henry and wife Jane Darke continue his legacy in film.

1 Works
2 Published works
3 Radio listings
4 External links

[edit] Works

Laughing Gas (2005) a comedy script that was left unfinished when he died (now completed by Cornish actor Carl Grose). [2]
The Wrecking Season (2004)
The Bench (1999) (TV)
Farmers Arms (1983) (TV)

[edit] Published works

Nick Darke Plays: 1 (2000) ISBN 0-413-73720-9
The Riot (2000) ISBN 0-413-73730-6

[edit] Radio listings

Dumbstruck, (Radio 4, July 17, 2005) an audio diary which Nick kept when he lost the power of speech after a stroke.

Hooked, (Radio 4, July 18, 2005) a comedy drama-documentary telling the story of a Cornish couple who are asked for their advice by a Londoner on how to fish for sea-bass, who subsequently cashes in on his new knowledge.