Alex Helfrecht was born to an American father and British mother and grew up in the UK, France, and the Caribbean. They studied English at University College London before training as a theatre professional at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Alex writes and directs for stage and screen, focusing on adaptations of classic literature and music, and on showcasing emerging writers and composers.

Alex has served as Writer-in-Residence in Alingsås, Sweden, in 2025 to work on their debut novel Dissolution, also being adapted into a chamber opera. They live in Oxford with their two children and are a breast cancer survivor.