Sarah Playford

Sarah is a freelance film composer based in London. Her music is often minimal, not just in terms of style but also space, thinking more in terms of textures and colours which often dictate her soundscapes.

Her first collaboration with director Jenny Jokela on the short animation Barbeque was selected by Channel 4 to be broadcast as part of their fifth Random Acts Series. In 2023 they collaborated on the sequel ‘Sweet Like Lemons’ which premiered at this years Annecy International Animation Film Festival and has since been longlisted for a BAFTA. In 2021, My Other Suit Is Human was nominated in the category for ‘Best Short Film’ at the IFTA’s, with her score nominated for ‘Best Score’ at the UK’s OXIFF. Sarah’s score to Strength was nominated for the Peer Raben Music Award by Soundtrack Cologne as part of their 2020 congress. The film received wide recognition in it’s objective to present the various forms of strength seen in women throughout their lives premiering at Underwire Festival’s ‘Everyday Women Warrior’s’ program and winning the ‘Women’s Rights Award’ at Trés Court Film Festival.

Her music career began as a student at the Royal College of Music where she graduated with an MComp in Composition for Screen in 2018. Since then, Sarah has worked on multiple short films, adverts and features and in 2018 ventured into the theatre scene composing the music for RADA's production of Women Beware Women staged at the Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre in London. She has since worked as composer assistant to Gary Yershon for The Old Vic’s production of 4000 Miles (dir. Matthew Warchus) starring Timothée Chalamet and Eileen Atkins.

Her electronica track Altitude was also featured on Universal Production Music’s first ever all female produced album titled 100% HER.

Sarah has also worked in the music department for features in collaboration with studios such as Netflix, SKY and the BBC. Namely working as orchestrator with the London Contemporary Orchestra on Netflix’s ‘The Forgotten Battle’ dir. by Matthijs van Heijningen Jr. as well as her more recent work orchestrating for Aisling Brouwer’s SKY feature ‘What Happened to Ursula?’ dir. Gareth Johnson released in 2023.

Sarah has also written additional music for Felicity Morris’ (Don’t F**k With Cats, Tinder Swindler) Netflix series ‘American Nightmare’ alongside BAFTA winning composer Jessica Jones.