Early Career
Orton was born in East Dereham, Norfolk, but moved to Dalston, east London at age 14. Her father, an architectural draughtsman, left her mother when Beth was 11, and she lived with her mother, an artist and political activist, and her two brothers, her father dying shortly afterwards. Her mother died from cancer in 1989, when Beth was aged 19, which led to her travelling to Thailand for a short period, residing with Buddhist nuns. Orton found success as a musician relatively late, having first worked at menial jobs such as a waitress at Pizza Hut and even owning her own catering company. She was also more interested in acting during her early career, having enrolled at the Anna Scher Theatre School, and she spent some time touring Une Saison en Enfer with a fringe theatre company throughout the UK, Russia and Ukraine, playing Rimbaud's lover.
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