Stephen Jeffreys, writer of The Libertine and Diana, dead at 68

Stephen Jeffreys, the British playwright and screenwriter, has died aged 68 of a brain tumour.

Best known for his 1994 play The Libertine, Jeffreys also adapted the play into a 2004 film starring Johnny Depp, and wrote the screenplay for Diana, a 2013 biopic of the Princess of Wales starring Naomi Watts.

While Jeffreys was celebrated for his work in the theatre, his screenwriting met with less success: The Libertine sharply divided the critics, while Diana was widely panned, with The Telegraph giving the film a one-star review.

The Libertine, which follows the debauched life of the 17th century poet John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, was first staged at the Royal Court, where Jeffreys was a literary associate for 10 years. It was given an acclaimed West End revival in 2016, in a production starring Dominic Cooper.

Jeffreys's other work for the stage included Valued Friends (1989), a comedy about an unscrupulous property dealer starring Jane Horrocks and Martin Clunes, and Backbeat (2011), a play about the Beatles' original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe.

He is survived by his two sons and his wife, the director Annabel Arden, a founding member of the celebrated Theatre de Complicite who directed Jeffreys' 2007 play The Art of War.

Prominent writers have shared their tributes to Jeffreys on social media, with Boy playwright Leo Butler writing: "I didn’t know him, but he was a wonderful writer and teacher. His exercises have been used by almost everyone who has ever taught a playwriting course – whether they realise it or not. His influence on theatre culture is enormous."

Olivier-winner Simon Stephens tweeted: "My mentor. My teacher. My friend. The kindest and wisest... When many of his peers turned their noses up at a generation coming after them Stephen Jeffreys encouraged and inspired and provoked and guided us. His faith in us was an astonishing force. His faith in playwriting was towering."

Enron playwright Lucy Prebble added: "Rest in peace, Stephen Jeffreys. You were a true writer and teacher and lie between the lines in many hundreds of writers’ plays."