Declan Lawn

Directing

Declan Lawn

Declan Lawn is a BAFTA-nominated Northern Irish screenwriter and director known for high-stakes, authentic storytelling. Alongside long-term creative partner Adam Patterson, he has become a leading voice in contemporary British and Irish drama. He is the co-creator, writer, and executive producer of the critically acclaimed BBC police drama Blue Lights. Set in Belfast, the series has been praised for its visceral realism and nuanced portrayal of policing in a post-conflict society, leading to multiple season recommissions. Before moving into scripted drama, Lawn spent over a decade as an investigative journalist for BBC Panorama and BBC Spotlight. This background informs his focus on character-driven narratives that explore the intersection of real-world events, psychology, and the tension between truth and deception. Based in Belfast, his credits also include the multi-award-winning short film Rough, the hit BBC drama The Salisbury Poisonings, and the psychological thriller Rogue Agent (Freegard).

Acting credits

Behind the camera

Rogue Agent poster
6.3

Conman Robert Freegard poses as an undercover MI5 agent and kidnaps countless victims amidst a high-stakes manhunt, until the woman who fell for him brings him to justice.

Rogue Agent

2022

Rough poster
6.0

After the end of the conflict in Northern Ireland, paramilitary groups turned into gangs that enforced their own street justice. Their decisions are incontestable and irrevocable. But when a local dog receives a death sentence, it may turn out that this time the thugs are trying to bite off more than they can chew. Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs is an innocent child’s play as compared with this perverse gangster cinema with a remarkable awareness of the convention, sense of humour and distance.

Rough

2020

Rough poster
6.0

After the end of the conflict in Northern Ireland, paramilitary groups turned into gangs that enforced their own street justice. Their decisions are incontestable and irrevocable. But when a local dog receives a death sentence, it may turn out that this time the thugs are trying to bite off more than they can chew. Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs is an innocent child’s play as compared with this perverse gangster cinema with a remarkable awareness of the convention, sense of humour and distance.

Rough

2020

No artwork available
NR

In 2013 Belfast experienced one of its most violent summers in recent years. Alys Harte is on the frontline with a notorious Loyalist band who are marching into the eye of a storm.

Petrol Bombs and Peace: Welcome to Belfast

2013

No artwork available
NR

In 2013 Belfast experienced one of its most violent summers in recent years. Alys Harte is on the frontline with a notorious Loyalist band who are marching into the eye of a storm.

Petrol Bombs and Peace: Welcome to Belfast

2013