Remembering Diarmuid Lawrence

We were saddened to hear of the passing of Diarmuid Lawrence, a director and Directors UK member with a distinguished career in television. 

Born in Essex in 1947, Lawrence started in theatre and moved through the BBC plays department before his career took off in continuing drama. In 1982, Diarmuid directed episodes of Grange Hill, Emmerdale and Brookside. Before long, Lawrence directed the BBC’s 1987 adaptation of Vanity Fair and episodes of the cult crime series Minder (1991).  

In 1992 Lawrence directed the TV Mini-Series Anglo Saxon Attitudes, which won the BAFTA award for best serial drama, and starred Kate Winslet and Daniel Craig in early roles. Later works included Silent Witness (2007) Little Dorrit starring Claire Foy (2008), and the TV mini-series South Riding, which featured Anna Maxwell Martin and David Morrisey (2011). Alongside these series Lawrence also directed a number of TV movies, including The Lady Vanishes (2013) and the Stanley Tucci-starring Peter and Wendy (2015). 

Diarmuid Lawrence passed away on 20 September 2019. His friend and colleague, producer Lisa Osborne, has provided her memories of Diarmuid on The Guardian.