British-born Holly McCarthy spent the first part of her life in Cyprus before returning to the UK in 1996 and settling in mid-Wales. She graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2005, with a B.A. Hons in Theatre Design. For RWCMD Holly designed productions of As you like it, Alice and Stars in the morning sky, as well as receiving a Cardiff New Theatre Award for Innovation in Puppetry Design for Wide Awake and Dreaming.
Her professional portfolio showcases work spanning many genres - theatre, music theatre and opera. Design credits include:
Set and Costume Design
Frost Nixon (German première) d. Michael Bogdanov (Hamburger Kammerspiele)
Swbryd Yn Y Nos d. Erica Eirian, Warrior Square and Hazey Jane d. by Kevin Lewis (Theatre Iolo, Touring Theatre, Cardiff)
The House of Bernarda Alba and The Trojan Women d. Erica Eirian (Theatr Peña)
The Secret of Belonging d. Michael Waters and Nikki Neale (Antic Theatre Company)
Costume Design
Thorn birds, the Musical d. Michael Bogdanov (for Wales Theatre Company), co-designed with David Emanuel
For you (Michael Berkeley and Ian McEwen), and Letters of a Love Betrayed (Eleanor Alberga and Donald Sturrock) d. Michael McCarthy, c. Michael Rafferty (Music Theatre Wales) at the Linbury Theatre
My Fair Lady d. Michael Bogdanov at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre
Puppetry
Alternating Currents project,written and directed by Geoff Moore (Moving Being Ltd, The National Heritage Museum, Swansea) – Maker and Performer
The Ballroom Oddessy/Hyjinx Theatre – Puppetry Director
Holly has assisted in Set, Costume and Puppetry for BBC Torchwood, Bath Theatre Royal, The Tobacco Factory and Wales Theatre Company, and for designers Simon Banham and Sean Crowley; Great Expectations, Romeo and Juliet, Philippe Boesmans’ Julie and Harrison Birtwistle’s Punch and Judy. Holly has also worked as a Wardrobe Dresser for Welsh National Opera, Cameron Mackintosh, Matthew Bourne, on Don Carlos, Edward Scissorhands and the opening of the Les Miserables 2009 UK tour.
Holly returned to the RWCMD as a tutor in Puppetry and computer-aided Prop skills and undertook the organisation of the third-year Design Exhibition in Cardiff and London. Recently she was engaged by the University of Aberystwyth as a Design Lecturer and as a tutor in Model-making for the stage. She was chosen to be part of the Scenofest team at the last Prague Quadrennial International Design Exhibition.
Holly McCarthy is a member of the Society of British Theatre Designers. Her work is currently on display at the Transformation and Revelation Exhibition, which she co-designed.