Lorna Nickson Brown
Actor / Writer / Director
Acting
Film, TV & Theatre
Voiceover
Acting
Lorna Nickson Brown is a director, screenwriter and actress from Birmingham, UK.
She was selected by Creative England as one of ten emerging female filmmakers in the British creative industries.
She trained at the prestigious Drama Centre London, winning a Laurence Olivier Bursary Award in her final year. Her recent acting credits include, THE JETTY (BBC One), directed by Marialy Rivas, THE BOYS IN THE BOAT (MGM), directed by George Clooney and Alex Parkinson's, Emmy nominated, LUCY THE HUMAN CHIMP (HBO/Channel 4).
She directed the award-winning BFI short, NED & ME, (2021) available via ShortsTV/Amazon Prime. Described by Mike Leigh as "beautifully directed," the film was selected in the 2021 International Competition at Oscar qualifying, Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival and was nominated for a 2023 Royal Television Society Midlands Award for Short Film.
Lorna's recent short film, DOG RUN, won the Breaking Boundaries Grand Prize Award in August 2023 at the Oscar qualifying, 41st Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival in Providence, USA, where it world premiered in competition. The film has picked up multiple awards at festivals internationally and has been reviewed by Sunday Times bestselling author, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, as "Tender, beautiful, and achingly humane, DOG RUN explores the interconnectedness of all things. A short and expansive piece of cinema." Dog Run is currently on the international festival circuit.
As a writer, Lorna is developing original drama for television with co-writer, Louise Brown. Their original drama, BABY GOODBYE, was optioned by World Productions. Lorna is drawn to stories with emotional complexity and she has a deep fascination with character psychology. Lorna's work serves the actor, delving into the internal and external aspects of the self, and the conflict between the two. She is motivated to tell stories that have a subversive edge and social impact, asking big questions about the way we live now with an accessible and commercial appeal. She is particularly interested in stories that explore the ability of people to challenge injustice and reshape their own lives and the wider world.
Her directorial approach is focused on both the true realities of the world, honing in on raw and natural elements, whilst also delving into moments of lyricism, close to magical realism, in a subtle externalising of internal landscapes. Her work is characterised by its honest, emotional truth, led by feeling and sensuality.
Lorna is a member of BAFTA Connect and Directors UK.
"Beautifully directed and paced." Mike Leigh [NED & ME]
"Tender, beautiful, and achingly humane, DOG RUN explores the interconnectedness of all things. A short and expansive piece of cinema." Sunday Times bestselling author, Kiran Millwood Hargrave [DOG RUN]
"Strong and unique." Marcelo Martinessi [NED & ME]
“A marvel of a film. The direction, the cinematography, a stellar set of performances and a wonderful enchanting score all coalesce into a deeply moving and profound experience. Lorna Nickson Brown has a rare gift, seamlessly blending naturalism with moments of shimmering magical realism. A filmmaker and a film suffused with radical empathy and life affirming lyricism. A poetic reminder of the powerful bonds, and the lie of separation, between humans, animals and the natural world” Tom de Freston [DOG RUN]
"Wide-eyed and openhearted" The Hollywood Reporter [LUCY THE HUMAN CHIMP]
"With Lorna Nickson Brown in the role of Janis Carter - it rings true. It's a largely silent performance by Ms. Nickson Brown, but she's our emotional touchstone." The Wall Street Journal [LUCY THE HUMAN CHIMP]
Film
| Production | Character | Director | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
BOYS IN THE BOAT | Student | George Clooney | MGM |
THE LEPER | Emma | Hugh Mulhern | NFTS |
CHRONICLES OF COURAGE | Marian | Ernest Mills | Savage Mills |
COLD BLOW LANE | Pam | Penny Andrea | Swamp Light Productions |
TASK 2 | Lorna | Tom Nicoll | Nicoll Film Productions |
AFTER DEATH | Livvy | Gez Medinger/Robin Schmidt | Acheron Films |
BEAUTIFUL RELICS | Evie | Adrian Hedgecock | Inherited Outline |
BRASH YOUNG TURKS | Shaz | Transient Films | Ash & Naeem Mahood |
Television
| Production | Character | Director | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
THE JETTY | Kit | Marialy Rivas | Firebird Pictures / BBC Studios / BBC One |
THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT | Ann 1956 | Saul Dibb | Wild Mercury/Banijay |
LUCY, THE HUMAN CHIMP (Emmy nominated) | Janis | Alex Parkinson | Keo Films / Channel 4 / HBO |
BEING BETTER | Teacher | Tom Lawes | BBC New Creatives |
THE FEED | Assistant to the President | Jill Robertson | The Feed Production Ltd/Amazon |
DOCTORS | Angela Donaldson | Debbie Howard | BBC One |
POIROT: THE LABOURS OF HERCULES | Lucinda | Andy Wilson | ITV |
BREATHLESS | Mrs Baring | Paul Unwin | ITV |
HOLBY CITY | Melody | David Tucker | ITV |
DOCTORS | Saffron | Alex Jacobs | BBC One |
Stage
| Production | Character | Director | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
THE MERCIES (R&D) | Ursa | Oliver Dawe | Oliver Dawe / Kiran Millwood Hargrave |
SUBJECT MATER | Young Sister | Oliver Dawe | Paradise in the Vault, Edinburgh Fringe Festival |
BUTTERFLIES | Lorna | Susan Lynch | The Birmingham Repertory Theatre |
OF MICE AND MEN | Curley's Wife | Roxana Silbert | The Birmingham Repertory Theatre |
INTO THY HANDS | Esther | Jonathan Holmes | Wilton's Music Hall |
TITS/TEETH | Gayle | Anna Niland | Soho Theatre |
SERIOUS MONEY | Sherill | Jonathan Mumby | The Birmingham Repertory Theatre |
HIS DARK MATERIALS | Rachel Kavanaugh | The Birmingham Repertory Theatre | |
ANTIGONE | Antigone | Tim Ford | The Young REP - The Birmingham Repertory Theatre |
THE MISANTHROPE | Celimene | Jonathan Martin | Drama Centre |
PARADISE LOST | Libby | Dominic Colenso | Drama Centre |
FUENTE OVEJUNA | Laurencia | Oleg Mirochnikov | Drama Centre |
OUR COUNTRY'S GOOD | Liz Morden | Shona Morris | Drama Centre |
TWO GENTLEMAN OF VERONA | Silvia | Simon Usher | Drama Centre |
Radio
| Production | Character | Director | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
VIOLETS | Birmingham Violet | Eilidh McCreadie | BBC Book at Bedtime |
BUTTERFLIES | Lorna | Paul Dodgson | BBC New Creatives/Rural Media for BBC Sounds |
RIOT GIRLS: KATY | Katy | Emma Harding | BBC Radio 4 |
HOMEFRONT | Queenie | Jessica Dromgoole/Allegra Mcilory | BBC Radio 4 |
THE TRUTH ABOUT ANNA | Ellie | Carl Prekopp | BBC Radio 4 |
Short Film
| Production | Character | Director | Company |
|---|---|---|---|
THE LEPER | Emma | Hugh Mulhern | NFTS |
ROXANE | Younger Sister | Oliver Dawe | Woven Voices |
THE COST OF LIVING | The Tenant | Tom Nicoll | Alter |
THE BOOKSHOP | Spanish Woman | Susan Lynch | StudioPOW |
Film, TV & Theatre
Lorna Nickson Brown is a director, screenwriter and actress from Birmingham, UK.
She was selected by Creative England as one of ten emerging female filmmakers in the British creative industries.
She trained at the prestigious Drama Centre London, winning a Laurence Olivier Bursary Award in her final year. Her recent acting credits include, THE JETTY (BBC One), directed by Marialy Rivas, THE BOYS IN THE BOAT (MGM), directed by George Clooney and Alex Parkinson's, Emmy nominated, LUCY THE HUMAN CHIMP (HBO/Channel 4).
She directed the award-winning BFI short, NED & ME, (2021) available via ShortsTV/Amazon Prime. Described by Mike Leigh as "beautifully directed," the film was selected in the 2021 International Competition at Oscar qualifying, Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival and was nominated for a 2023 Royal Television Society Midlands Award for Short Film.
Lorna's recent short film, DOG RUN, won the Breaking Boundaries Grand Prize Award in August 2023 at the Oscar qualifying, 41st Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival in Providence, USA, where it world premiered in competition. The film has picked up multiple awards at festivals internationally and has been reviewed by Sunday Times bestselling author, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, as "Tender, beautiful, and achingly humane, DOG RUN explores the interconnectedness of all things. A short and expansive piece of cinema." Dog Run is currently on the international festival circuit.
As a writer, Lorna is developing original drama for television with co-writer, Louise Brown. Their original drama, BABY GOODBYE, was optioned by World Productions. Lorna is drawn to stories with emotional complexity and she has a deep fascination with character psychology. Lorna's work serves the actor, delving into the internal and external aspects of the self, and the conflict between the two. She is motivated to tell stories that have a subversive edge and social impact, asking big questions about the way we live now with an accessible and commercial appeal. She is particularly interested in stories that explore the ability of people to challenge injustice and reshape their own lives and the wider world.
Her directorial approach is focused on both the true realities of the world, honing in on raw and natural elements, whilst also delving into moments of lyricism, close to magical realism, in a subtle externalising of internal landscapes. Her work is characterised by its honest, emotional truth, led by feeling and sensuality.
Lorna is a member of BAFTA Connect and Directors UK.
"Beautifully directed and paced." Mike Leigh [NED & ME]
"Tender, beautiful, and achingly humane, DOG RUN explores the interconnectedness of all things. A short and expansive piece of cinema." Sunday Times bestselling author, Kiran Millwood Hargrave [DOG RUN]
"Strong and unique." Marcelo Martinessi [NED & ME]
“A marvel of a film. The direction, the cinematography, a stellar set of performances and a wonderful enchanting score all coalesce into a deeply moving and profound experience. Lorna Nickson Brown has a rare gift, seamlessly blending naturalism with moments of shimmering magical realism. A filmmaker and a film suffused with radical empathy and life affirming lyricism. A poetic reminder of the powerful bonds, and the lie of separation, between humans, animals and the natural world” Tom de Freston [DOG RUN]
"Wide-eyed and openhearted" The Hollywood Reporter [LUCY THE HUMAN CHIMP]
"With Lorna Nickson Brown in the role of Janis Carter - it rings true. It's a largely silent performance by Ms. Nickson Brown, but she's our emotional touchstone." The Wall Street Journal [LUCY THE HUMAN CHIMP]
Short Films
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
DOG RUN | Copper Thread Productions developed with Clermont Ferrand Film Festival x Kickstarter | Writer/Director/Producer • 41st Flickers' Rhode Island Film Festival, Providence, USA (2023) - WINNER, Breaking Boundaries Grand Prize |
NED & ME | BFI NETWORK - Available via Prime Video/ ShortsTV | Director and Executive Producer An elderly man meets a young woman in a café, and the deal that follows will alter their lives forever. NED & ME explores the complexity of euthanasia and human transactions. • Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival (2021) |
FIGURE | Choreographed and Directed by Lanre Malaolu | Lead Producer *Official selection includes: |
Film
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
COLD BLOW LANE | Swamp Light Productions in association with Blue Shadows Film | Producer • Winner of Best Narrative Feature at Liverpool Underground Film Festival 2020 |
Radio
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
BUTTERFLIES | BBC Sounds | Radio Writer and Creator Produced by BBC New Creatives / Rural Media. |
Theatre
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
BUTTERFLIES | Birmingham Rep | Playwright and Creator |
JUAN RULFO'S SHORT STORIES | Presence Theatre | Produced stage reading of Luvina, They Have Given Us the Land and You Don't Hear Dogs Barking at The Chalton Gallery, London/Mexican Embassy (Directed by Simon Usher) |
Assisting Credits
| Production | Company | Notes |
|---|---|---|
SAVE ME | Sky Atlantic/World Productions | Shadowed Producer, Patrick Schweitzer. |