Laurence Owen (composer)

Early career

Laurence Owen’s career began in the 1990s as a child actor. He had notable credits in the feature film Wilde (playing Vyvyan Wilde opposite Stephen Fry) and the BBC period drama Berkeley Square, in which he had a recurring role.

At school he met Ryan Michael Perkins and they began writing and performing music together. Under the name Carmelite they made a number of recordings, including the privately pressed album Miracle Play (2006). Carmelite entered a period of hiatus when both members began tertiary education.

Soundtrack composer

Owen attended Brighton University from which he graduated with First Class Honours in Digital Music and Sound Arts. He wrote a score for his “radio film”, 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' (based on the book by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) during his final year at university, which aired as part of the Sherlock Holmes Society's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. On graduating, he joined the permanent teaching staff at Emanuel School's music department, working there until the end of November 2013 when he left to concentrate on writing and performing full-time.

Since 2011 he has been commissioned to write music for a number of stages and film projects, including several short pieces for film festivals. In 2013, he won the Früh Kölsch Audience Award for Best Music in a Short Film for his score for the animated short White Morning. In the Autumn of the same year he joined the multimedia theatre company '1927 Productions' as sound designer and his work features in the production Golem, which was first performed at the Salzburg Festival before transferring to the Young Vic, London, and the Théâtre de la Ville, Paris. For his work on Golem, he was nominated for Best Theatre Sound at the Pro Sound Awards 2015.

Music

Owen played bass for Lily Rae and the Saturday Girls from 2008. He released of an album of electronica under the name Lark Rise the following year, Rae's vocals featuring on one track. They both subsequently joined The Indelicates appearing on their albums David Koresh Superstar and Diseases Of England, Owen again contributing as bass guitarist. He can be seen in the promotional video for the track I Am Koresh. Via the band’s label Corporate Records, he also began issuing work as a solo artist. This included two EPs featuring self-penned material, cover versions and a track co-written with Perkins that he produced himself and on which he played most of instruments. Songs he recorded during this period were later collected on Bad Hair Years, a compilation of material he described as “juvenilia”.

His concept album South Of The River was released at the beginning of 2012. In the Autumn a final Carmelite EP was issued, and Owen left The Indelicates early the following year. He has continued to collaborate with Rae, however, contributing to her 2014 album Your Face.

Comedy

While a member of The Indelicates, Owen had experimented with humour, singing and accompanying himself on the guitar. He did not believe this was well received by audiences at music gigs, so he developed and took an act to comedy bills.

He has been a regular on the London cabaret circuit since late 2011, providing short turns on variety and comedy nights. In addition to solo performances, he has also contributed to a number of comedy collectives, including Adam Larter's Weirdos Comedy Club for which he has appeared in two 'alternative pantomimes' among other productions. As well as acting in these shows he has provided original music; recordings of songs from the pantomimes have been issued as digital downloads with the proceeds donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

He has also appeared in full-length shows as part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In the first, 'Owen and Bettesworth Sung and Unsung' (2012), he performed with stand-up comedian Oli Bettesworth. They made a "mini sit-com" in daily instalments to accompany this and released it via YouTube and other media.

His first solo show was 'Lullabies of Pervland'(2014). An album of the same title was made available to complement it, featuring studio versions of most of the songs from the set. His contribution to the 2015 Fringe, 'Cinemusical' won him that year's Malcolm Hardee Award for 'Act Most Likely To Make A Million Quid'.

In 2014 he was a finalist at the Musical Comedy Awards.

Personal life

He is married to comedian, actress and writer Lindsay Sharman.

Albums

Studio

Cast recordings

Soundtracks

Compilations

EPs

Singles