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).

Works

Blue Lights
7.5

Blue Lights

Follows rookie police officers working in Belfast, a city in which being a frontline response cop comes with unique pressures and dangers.

Release Date2023-03-27

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Charactersd News Reporter

Episode Count17

Vote Count117

The Hidden World Of Britain’s Immigrants

In this powerful film, Fergal Keane, who has reported for BBC News from all over the world, finds out what life is really like for a group of illegal immigrants struggling to survive on British streets. He asks what drew them here, follows their battles to beat the system and shows how ineffective the authorities can be in dealing with them.

Release Date2014-01-08

Charactersd Himself

Our Lives

Our Lives

Celebrating life in the UK in all its diversity – as seen through the eyes of remarkable people doing extraordinary things.

Release Date2017-06-12

Charactersd Self - Presenter

Episode Count1

The Undeclared War
6.5

The Undeclared War

In the post-pandemic world of 2024 during an upcoming British general election involving the UK’s first Black Conservative prime minister, a leading team of analysts at the heart of the UK’s NSA-style spy agency GCHQ attempt to ward off a cyber-attack on the country’s electoral system.

Release Date2022-06-30

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Episode Count1

Vote Count71

6.3

Rogue Agent

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.

Release Date2022-08-12

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Vote Count268

The Salisbury Poisonings
6.9

The Salisbury Poisonings

In March 2018 Salisbury became the site of an unprecedented national emergency. This three-part dramatisation focuses on the extraordinary heroism shown by the local community.

Release Date2020-06-14

DepartmentWriting

JobWriter

Episode Count3

Vote Count70

7.0

Rough

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.

Release Date2020-09-08

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector

Vote Count1

Petrol Bombs and Peace: Welcome to Belfast

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.

Release Date2013-08-05

DepartmentDirecting

JobDirector