Holly Collis Handford (she/her) is a theatre actor and music composer in Vancouver, BC. She has a BFA in Acting from The University of British Columbia and her ARCT in Voice Performance with the Royal Conservatory of Music.
As an actor, Holly has performed with Axis Theatre (The Troll Grandfather), Theatre Under the Stars (Cats), White Rock Players' Club (Pride and Prejudice) for which she won the Hopelessly Hilarious Cleo Award, United Players of Vancouver (Emilia), The Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival (The Two Gentlemen of Verona), and more. She trained at The Improv Centre where she performed as a mainstage ensemble member for the 2022-2024 season and she currently performs with sketch comedy group Riot exploring local issues and events.
As a composer, Holly has written original music for Curious Creations Theatre (Waiting For Garbo), Six/Ten Productions (The Last Jubilee), Wandering Wagon Theatre (Juggle Me Not), and National Theatre School's Art Apart (Papa Records Everything). She was the music director and co-composer for the original musical Gillty as Fin out of Studio 58 and has written for UBC's department of Theatre and Film (Dream Play) as well as UBC Players' Club (The Croc, the Witch, and the Elevator). Holly currently works as a composer and teaching artist for Vancouver Opera and a music director for Arts Umbrella arts centre.
Holly scored the short film Late Bloomer which she wrote and directed with the Short Film Lab and she plays multiple musical instruments including piano, accordion, mandolin, guitar, ukulele, and percussion.
As an actor, Holly has performed with Axis Theatre (The Troll Grandfather), Theatre Under the Stars (Cats), White Rock Players' Club (Pride and Prejudice) for which she won the Hopelessly Hilarious Cleo Award, United Players of Vancouver (Emilia), The Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival (The Two Gentlemen of Verona), and more. She trained at The Improv Centre where she performed as a mainstage ensemble member for the 2022-2024 season and she currently performs with sketch comedy group Riot exploring local issues and events.
As a composer, Holly has written original music for Curious Creations Theatre (Waiting For Garbo), Six/Ten Productions (The Last Jubilee), Wandering Wagon Theatre (Juggle Me Not), and National Theatre School's Art Apart (Papa Records Everything). She was the music director and co-composer for the original musical Gillty as Fin out of Studio 58 and has written for UBC's department of Theatre and Film (Dream Play) as well as UBC Players' Club (The Croc, the Witch, and the Elevator). Holly currently works as a composer and teaching artist for Vancouver Opera and a music director for Arts Umbrella arts centre.
Holly scored the short film Late Bloomer which she wrote and directed with the Short Film Lab and she plays multiple musical instruments including piano, accordion, mandolin, guitar, ukulele, and percussion.
