Profile
A born creative, Holly Joyce has worked for twenty years as an actor, script consultant, theatre director, producer, and performance coach. After being asked to direct her first short film NAPOLEON in 2022, Holly discovered a new passion for screen directing. In September 2024 she completed a Masters with Distinction in Film Production at the University of Hertfordshire, and produced and directed her final film, A BED OF FOXGLOVES starring Phyllis Logan, adapted from a play by Anna Jordan.
Holly is now pursuing a career in directing for screen, focussing on female-led stories. Recognising the barriers facing women behind the camera in the the TV and Film industry, Holly recently established Foxglove Femmes, a team of all-female crew and creatives. After working together on A BED OF FOXGLOVES, the team went on make a second short, THE POINT OF DISAPPEARANCE (currently in post-production) which Holly adapted from a short story by Stephanie Percival, then directed and produced. The team are currently developing several new projects focusing on unheard stories about personal struggles within various sectors of society.
In May 2025 Holly directed THIS TIME NEXT/LAST YEAR produced by Joshua Opriasa, a short film that explores issues of male suicide.
Holly is driven and determined with a strong focus on creating collaboratively. She works regularly as a director and coach at the Reel Scene Acting School in London. Her experiences have given her the ability to communicate effectively with people from all backgrounds. She has a vivid imagination and clear vision and thrives on working with and learning from others to make her ideas come to life on screen.
Anna Jordan’s short play A Bed of Foxgloves landed in my inbox a few months after the sudden and unexpected death of my younger brother, Tom. When he died, I experienced and observed for the first time how differently people deal with grief. Anna’s play seemed to capture all of the conflicting emotions and reactions I felt, and painfully observed in others. At the same time, it helped me see that if we can resist the urge to push everyone away, it is still possible to laugh, and love, in the face of death.
In adapting the play for screen, I wanted to preserve the comedy that Anna had brilliantly created, and maintain a theatrical feel. Inspired by the storytelling element in Wes Anderson’s Films, I created a series of ‘flashback’ scenes. We see these larger-than-life events while the characters continue to describe them. However, what we see is in stark contrast with the words we hear; through all the elements of the film, I wanted to create a sense of the real tragedy of the circumstances while accentuating the bizarreness of the situation.
I also wanted the film’s visual style to reflect Anderson’s work, incorporating symmetrical composition, framing and shot sizes, and a vivid colour palette.
The film’s visual concept and style is also influenced by contemporary TV series including Sex Education, End of the F**king World and Flowers. Through story and design these programmes are largely ambiguous in terms of time and place. The setting for A Bed of Foxgloves is identifiably British but we could be anywhere in the UK. I specifically removed any reference to technology in the adaptation, and aimed to suggest that the story could be taking place anytime in the last 35 years.
The soundtrack is intended to enhance the ambiguity created by the design, and emphasise the contrast between the real and the strange. I envisaged a quirky, folk-influenced soundtrack centred around the traditional folk song ‘The Parting Glass’. Musician Katrina Michaels created new work incorporating the accordion, ukulele and her unique voice to fit this brief.
I am proud to have focussed on inclusion and diversity from the outset in developing this project. In the adaptation, I changed the role of Robyn (previously Robin) from male to female, and prioritised casting an actor of colour in this role. I also pulled together an extensive, all-female crew to work on A Bed of Foxgloves. I fully support and promote efforts within the film and TV industry to increase the low percentage of women working in technical roles behind the camera, and provide more development opportunities by creating a safe and encouraging environment for all. – – – – – thanks to Film Freeway
Opinion
A real stroke of passion and determination. Having researched the film’s campaign, it truly sticks to the idea of wanting a Wes Anderson style iconography which incorporates the storytelling devices found in David Lean’s Brief Encounter (1944) and Mike Flanagan’s Fall of the House of Usher. Strong cast and story. – – – – – Joanna Pinto
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