“No one is going to give you permission to exist as you want to and you shouldn’t need it anyway!”
WHO: Megan Tomei
WHAT: “After a violent, sleepless night with her abusive boyfriend, Meg goes back to her spin studio like nothing happened. It doesn’t take long for her to spiral into a manic breakdown as she realizes her version of self-care (perfectionism, calorie-counting and people pleasing) is self-destruction. Throughout this one-woman show, Meg faces body dysmorphia, internalized abuse and the exhausting need to be adored. Physically relentless, brutally funny and surprisingly moving, SpinQueen™ is theatre you can feel in every muscle. A show that will leave you questioning how far we go to keep up and what it really takes to stop.”
WHERE: Jade Studio at Greenside @ George Street (Venue 236)
WHEN: 19:35 (50 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
This is my absolute first time at the Edinburgh Fringe – as a performer or otherwise! It has always been an absolute dream of mine to attend. I only have ever heard the most incredible things about the energy of the festival and the people that attend, and I cannot wait to soak it all in. I have always dreamed of bringing specifically a one-woman show to the Fringe. My late great friend, Issa Malak Best – who my play is dedicated to, always said I should create a one-woman show, as that’s how I typically move through the world (a never-ending performance), and I hope SpinQueen™ pursuit honors his artistry and memory.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2025 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
Oh my goodness this has ONLY been a 12-month period of learning lessons! The biggest one right now is to say f*ck it to most things. No one is going to give you permission to exist as you want to and you shouldn’t need it anyway! It’s too crazy, too intense, and a lot of times too scary out there to not live the way you want to. I’m trying to live out loud essentially and not care what anyone thinks – but wow is that easier said than done.
Tell us about your show.
I wrote SpinQueen™, with the developmental help of my director Jennesy Herrera, and constantly feel like I’m still writing it. It is an absurd, often satirical piece, yet very much a personal story and a very personal experience that happened to me. It is shrouded in hyperbole, humor, the dark realities of being a woman in the world, and all the grotesque confrontations of having a body that endures these dichotomies. And who doesn’t love screaming into the void, while breaking a sweat? I came up with the concept after dealing after 8 years of teaching spin and was growing endlessly frustrated with myself and my body. It forced me to slow down against any will or desire of my own. It made me confront what systems I’m a part of and what cycles I perpetuate (pun very much intended). And I couldn’t help but connect it to how I keep pushing the physical and emotional facets of myself, often to the detriment of those very pillars that keep one moving forward. You think you should keep pushing through to get through, but when is it too far? And for what? Being a Native New Yorker, I premiered my show at the Chain Theatre in NYC just before heading across the pond for a full run at the Fringe, and plan on taking it to LA afterwards (where the play actually takes place).
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
Audiences should definitely see fellow one-man show In the Black created and performed by Quaz Degraft – it is very much as funny as it is true, and he is a phenomenal performer. Further, if you resonate with the themes of my show, please go see Belly created and performed by Reilly O’Shaughnessy. It’s touching, sweet, and full of deeper meanings that exist within a woman’s body. We love to delve into the depths of ourselves for the sake of art! It’s really brave what these artists are doing.
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