---
name: "Diarmuid Lawrence"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/diarmuid-lawrence"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "15 October 1947"
died: "20 September 2019"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "director"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-17T15:55:36.097939+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Diarmuid Lawrence

Director. Born 15 October 1947 in Westcliff-on-Sea. Died 20 September 2019.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 15 October 1947, Westcliff-on-Sea
- **Died:** 20 September 2019
- **Active:** 1970–2008
- **Frequently works with:** [Andrew Davies](https://film.one/person/andrew-davies.md)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diarmuid_Lawrence, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3026346, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0492722/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/71950

## Streaming the US now

- **BritBox:** [*Little Dorrit*](https://film.one/tv/little-dorrit.md) (76)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Diarmuid Lawrence

> Diarmuid Lawrence’s television is worth approaching for the performances, helped by the time he gave actors to rehearse. We like his handling of a crowded literary story, though *Little Dorrit* makes the limits of that achievement plain.

In *Little Dorrit* (2008), Claire Foy, Matthew Macfadyen and a strong ensemble keep us interested as class, mystery and romance compete for attention. We were absorbed by the performances, which made the crowded story worth following even when its pace faltered. Lawrence’s work with actors is the strongest reason to seek out his television. It is a substantial virtue in an adaptation that has so many people and concerns to keep in view.

His path to literary adaptation ran through continuing drama, including *Grange Hill*, *Emmerdale*, *Casualty* and *Brookside*. *Anglo Saxon Attitudes* (1992) established his reputation for adapting books, and *Emma* (1996) followed, with Kate Beckinsale. Later came *South Riding* (2011), *The Mystery of Edwin Drood* (2012) and his final television film, *Peter and Wendy* (2015), a modern reworking of J.M. Barrie. That progression makes sense for a director whose attention to performers could serve stories of different periods and sizes.

Lawrence gave actors extensive rehearsal time, and we would give that some credit for the assurance of his ensembles. His decisions about shots and camera placement could be quick and instinctive, sometimes frustrating crew who had not been told what he intended. Producer Lisa Osborne worked with him on five productions, and writer Andrew Davies on two.

Davies’s adaptation of Dickens also sets the limit of our enthusiasm. Across fourteen episodes, *Little Dorrit* takes too long to get started and then hurries its ending, giving the series an awkward shape. Lawrence shares the directing with Dearbhla Walsh and Adam Smith, so praise and blame cannot sensibly be assigned to him alone. The actors sustain our interest, but we would have liked the storytelling to give them steadier support. Start here for the ensemble, provided a slow opening will not send you elsewhere.

## Biography

Diarmuid Lawrence (15 October 1947 – 20 September 2019) was a British television director. Born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, he began his career in 1978 as a production assistant on the BBC drama *Pennies from Heaven* and made his directorial debut with *Play for Today*.

His credits include *Little Dorrit* (2008), *Emma* (1996), *Silent Witness* (1996), *Casualty*, *Emmerdale*, *Crossing Lines* (2013) and *The Lady Vanishes* (2013). In 1993 he received the British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Serial for *Anglo Saxon Attitudes*. He also won the Golden Gate Award for Best Television Feature at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 1990 for *Beyond the Pale* and an International Emmy Kids Award in 2017 for *Peter and Wendy*.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, theguardian.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Little Dorrit* (2008), Fi1m 76, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/little-dorrit.md)

## Complete filmography (58)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Peter & Wendy* (2015), Director
- *Mapp and Lucia* (2014), series, Director
- *Quirke* (2014), series, Director
- *Crossing Lines* (2013), series, Director
- *The Lady Vanishes* (2013), Director
- *The Mystery of Edwin Drood* (2012), series, Director
- *The Body Farm* (2011), series, Director
- *South Riding* (2011), series, Director
- *Desperate Romantics* (2009), series, Director
- *Little Dorrit* (2008), series, Director — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/little-dorrit.md)
- *Jericho* (2005), series, Director
- *The Murder Room* (2005), series, Director, Creator
- *The Murder Room* (2004), Director
- *Sea of Souls* (2004), series, Director
- *Carla* (2003), Director
- *Serious & Organised* (2003), series, Director
- *Ultimate Force* (2002), series, Director
- *Messiah* (2001), series, Director
- *The Echo* (1998), series, Director
- *Heat of the Sun* (1998), series, Director
- *The Beggar Bride* (1997), Director
- *The Beggar Bride* (1997), series, Director
- *Loving* (1996), Director
- *Emma* (1996), Director
- *Deep Secrets* (1996), Director
- *Silent Witness* (1996), series, Director
- *The Hanging Gale* (1995), series, Director
- *The Hanging Gale* (1995), Director
- *A Breed of Heroes* (1994), Director
- *Comics* (1993), series, Director
- *Anglo Saxon Attitudes* (1992), series, Director
- *August Saturday* (1990), Director
- *The Land of Dreams* (1990), Director
- *Capital City* (1989), series, Director
- *Screen One* (1989), series, Director
- *Beyond The Pale* (1989), Director
- *Rockliffe's Folly* (1988), series, Director
- *Vanity Fair* (1987), series, Director
- *Rockliffe's Babies* (1987), series, Director
- *Casualty* (1986), series, Director
- *ScreenPlay* (1986), series, Director
- *The Practice* (1985), series, Director
- *Screen Two* (1985), series, Director
- *Exploits at West Poley* (1985), Director
- *The Witches and the Grinnygog* (1983), Director
- *The Witches and the Grinnygog* (1983), series, Director
- *By the Sword Divided* (1983), series, Director
- *Dramarama* (1983), series, Director
- *Brookside* (1982), series, Director
- *My Dear Palestrina* (1980), Director
- *Juliet Bravo* (1980), series, Director
- *Ladies* (1980), Director
- *Minder* (1979), series, Director
- *The Billion Dollar Bubble* (1978), Production Assistant
- *Grange Hill* (1978), series, Director
- *Playhouse* (1974), series, Director
- *Emmerdale* (1972), series, Director
- *Play for Today* (1970), series, Director

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/diarmuid-lawrence