“I found a city that drops all pretense and lets art be messy, brave, and slightly unhinged.”
WHO: Nealy Glenn
WHAT: “A darkly comic, present-day battle of wits, of the sexes, and of Shakespearean bonafides. The Fool, a self-made “scholar,” clings to the Bard for relevance, until a stranger refuses to stay polite and the room tips into an absurd cage match. In 2026, when whose voice is heard is still a question, this show makes the classics feel urgent and hilariously combustible. Fast, physical and sharp. Come for the comedy, stay for the moment you realise you’re part of the argument. When the text is stripped bare, what humanity is left glowing beneath?”
WHERE: Olive Studio at Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236)
WHEN: 11:20 (60 min)
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Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
Technically yes as a performer, but I came last year with my mom, and it completely recalibrated how I view theatre.
I expected a massive art market. Instead, I found a city that drops all pretense and lets art be messy, brave, and slightly unhinged. I sat in a room with 15 people watching a woman perform a solo show about walking the Camino Real, that show has stuck with me: Her bravery, honesty, and deep desire to tell her story were so moving. Later that week, I saw a Northern Irish play about generational trauma, at Traverse Theatre, that blew me away: the production quality, the acting, the writing.
Experiencing it as a ticket-buyer is thrilling; experiencing it as a producer is a lesson in stamina. You aren’t just putting on a show; you are fighting for space to be seen. And hoping someone will come see your little show. And that is the magic and joy. Everyone is here together as a community. We’ve had so much support from Greenside. It feels like a wonderful little family we are in. And the Fringe Society has been so helpful with resources and classes for producers. It is a 101 class in Producing in Real Time. And the goal is to not take ourselves too seriously—and enjoy the ride. Therefore, we will be out there with our accordion player (Will, who is part of the show) entertaining folks and offering half-price flyers. If you’re going to bring a show across the Atlantic, you might as well have fun!
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2025 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
I’ve learned that momentum is something you build with intention, community, and word of mouth.
A year ago, this play was just a discussion between friends over coffee. Twelve months later, we’ve taken it from a reading in Nashville to a sold-out Off-Broadway run at 59E59 in New York, and now to Scotland. Managing the logistics – my producing partner Melle Powers is based in NYC—were forced to figure out how to produce on the fly without second-guessing every move. She was in NYC and I was in Nashville.
The lesson I’m trying to actually absorb is to stop waiting for permission. If the story is strong enough and you feel passionate about the work, the path opens up. You don’t need a massive institution behind you to make art.
Tell us about your show.
The Lady Doth Protest is a darkly comic, present-day battle of the sexes. The play centers on “The Fool,” a self-made scholar who clings to Shakespeare as an authority shield until an unapologetic stranger corners him, triggering a volatile reclamation of voice between two deeply flawed people. Fast, physical, and sharply funny, the production treats the audience as an active presence in the room—their tension and laughter directly steer the scene, all underpinned by an original, continuous live accordion score performed on stage by composer Will Holshouser.
Written by Yale faculty dramaturg Mark Blankenship (from a concept developed alongside myself) and directed by Evan Zes, the production is co-produced by Melle Powers’ Joy Powered Productions and Feminine Productions. Our actors are Liam Craig and Nealy Glenn (myself) we went to NYU Tisch Graduate Acting together. That shared vocabulary allowed us to understand the Shakespearean peice of the production and the comedic mechanics rooted in Commedia Dell’arte that we studied in school together.
In 2026, the battle over intellectual agency is urgent. The play exposes how quickly “civilized” debate degrades into a raw power struggle when tradition is used as a weapon.
Before Edinburgh, we had a sold-out reading in Nashville and a sold-out run at 59E59 Theaters in NYC. Fringe is our international premiere, and from here, we’re taking the show into regional theatres and future festival stops. That is our Goal!
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
Traverse Theatre: I saw so many wonderful shows here last year. It is a writing focused theatre and you can’t go wrong
Greenside Venues — Spend an afternoon exploring whatever is on at Greenside; they consistently anchor some of the grittiest, most exciting indie theatre at the entire festival. Lot’s of new works
Extra Dry: One woman show written by Michelle Renee Johnson she was at 59E59 street with us. Highly recommend. Very funny and sharp! And she is from the South (USA) close to where I am so I very much relate.
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