Laurence Andrew Tolhurst (born 3 February 1959) is an English musician, songwriter, producer, and author. He was a founder member of the Cure, for which he first played drums before switching to keyboards. He left the Cure in 1989, and later formed the bands Presence and Levinhurst. He has also published two books and developed the Curious Creatures podcast. His most recent studio release is the album Los Angeles (2023), in collaboration with Budgie and Jacknife Lee.

Lol is an English abbreviation of Laurence. Tolhurst was born in Horley, Surrey and is the fifth of six children to William and Daphne Tolhurst. He states in his memoir Cured that his father was an alcoholic with unpredictable moods. The Tolhurst family later moved to nearby Crawley, where he first met future bandmate Robert Smith when they were both five years old. Tolhurst's grandmother lived next door to Smith's family, and Tolhurst and Smith attended St. Francis Primary and Junior Schools together. During their teen years, the two played together in several early bands, with Tolhurst on drums. These bands eventually evolved into the Cure in 1978.

Tolhurst and future bandmate Pearl Thompson were present at the outbreak of the 1976 Notting Hill Carnival Riot and ran away as the riot began.

Tolhurst played drums and occasionally keyboards for the Cure on their first four albums. After the tour for the Pornography album in 1982, Tolhurst decided to abandon the drums and switch to keyboards and synthesisers full time. During this period he also produced two singles and one album for the band And Also the Trees.

By 1985, Tolhurst's contributions to the Cure were diminishing due to his alcoholism, and during live performances some of his keyboard parts had to be supplemented by guitarist Pearl Thompson. Shortly after the release of Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me in 1987, Tolhurst's apparent lack of preparation for the album's upcoming tour caused the band to recruit a second keyboardist, Roger O'Donnell.

During the recording of the following album Disintegration in 1989, Tolhurst's alcoholism became so severe that the other members of the band threatened to quit, and Tolhurst contributed very little to the album even though he was credited as a co-writer on all songs. While it was later revealed that Tolhurst contributed to the song "Homesick", his contributions to the rest of the album were nearly nonexistent, and he was ultimately credited with "other instruments" in the album's liner notes. Tolhurst was fired by Robert Smith shortly before the album's release.

Following his departure from the Cure, in 1990 Tolhurst formed the band Presence with singer Gary Biddles, who had been an early member of the Cure's road crew and was previously a member of Fools Dance. Presence released the album Inside in 1993; a second album titled Closer was recorded during this period but was not released until 2014. Meanwhile, Tolhurst had moved to Los Angeles in the United States and overcame his alcoholism. His son was born in 1991.

In 1994, Tolhurst sued Robert Smith and Fiction Records for unpaid royalties, claiming that he had been coerced into signing an unfavourable contract in the mid-1980s while debilitated by his alcohol problem. That contract had removed him as an equal partner in the Cure with Smith and relegated him to a paid employee. Tolhurst also claimed part ownership with Smith in the Cure's name. Tolhurst lost this lawsuit and was ordered by the court to pay Smith's legal expenses. Smith refunded the money to Tolhurst years later after they reconciled their friendship.