Laura K Bailey was cast as J.K. Rowling in a play that drew widespread attention at the Edinburgh Festival in 2024. Her new show revisits that experience, exploring the complexities of being a cis woman navigating a world where identity, voice, and visibility are under scrutiny — and where remaining neutral is not always a neutral act.
Rowling In It is rooted in real events, while also working as backstage satire. How did you approach blending humour with the more personal or tender aspects of the story?
Humor is a powerful storytelling tool. The best stand-up comedians use it to expose truths people would rather avoid. There’s an old adage that for something to be funny, it has to be true. For better or worse, I’ve realized fairly late in life that I use humor to deflect pain or uncomfortable truths—it’s a coping mechanism. If you can laugh at something, it can’t quite hurt you in the same way. At the same time, it feels like we’ve lost some of our collective sense of humor recently, perhaps understandably given everything happening in the world. With this piece, I wanted to use humor as a way of gently opening Pandora’s box. But I was also very conscious of the line between satire and trivializing real pain, whether that’s domestic abuse or the experiences of the trans community.
The show reflects on fear – fear of getting it wrong, fear of being misunderstood. Where do you think that fear shows up most strongly in creative industries today?
Fear is something I’m increasingly fascinated by because it seems to be shaping so much of the creative industry right now. Ironically, working in theatre or film requires enormous bravery. Actors step onstage and expose themselves emotionally in front of strangers; writers offer up their ideas knowing they’ll be debated, criticized, or misunderstood. You can’t really create from a place of fear. Yet many institutions seem to be doing exactly that. No one wants to get it wrong. My own show was accepted and then cancelled before anyone had read the script. I understand wanting to avoid harm, but theatre should allow artists to take risks and start conversations—even imperfect ones.
This is a one-woman show and described as a “tour-de-force.” What is most demanding about carrying a piece like this alone on stage?
When I did the play which inspired Rowling In It, I was onstage almost every minute of the 80-minute run, aside from a few quick costume changes, so I thought I understood what that kind of stamina required. But a true one-person show is a completely different beast. Without a scene partner, you’re responsible for generating all the energy and momentum onstage yourself. Add to that the pressure of also being the writer, and it’s a lot to carry. Right now the biggest challenge is physical stamina, especially while raising young children during cold and flu season. I have to be very disciplined—dropping social plans, eating well, and protecting my energy. In many ways, preparing for a show like this feels like training for an endurance event.
You’ve had such varied experiences – from impersonating Gwyneth Paltrow to filming alongside Chris Hemsworth. How does returning to live theatre compare to working on screen?
I don’t know if other actors would agree, but I actually find film infinitely easier. I have almost no nerves on a film set anymore—put a camera in my face in front of fifty crew members and I’m perfectly fine. When I was younger my heart would race, but I think I’ve just become comfortable with that medium. There’s always another take, so you have space to experiment and adjust. Theatre is far less forgiving. Once you’re onstage, that’s it. Theatre still terrifies me, but it’s the love of my life, so I can’t seem to stay away. My pre-show nerves have never subsided; on opening night I still feel like I might either vomit or have a heart attack. But there’s no greater high than the moment a line lands and laughter comes roaring back at you, or feeling the audience lean in—that connection simply doesn’t exist on screen.
What do you hope audiences feel as they leave the theatre?
In terms of Rowling In It, we want people to feel challenged, it’s a play about learning and self-examination. But also about fear and getting things wrong either privately or very, very publicly. No one wants to get things wrong, but that’s all part of the learning curve of life.
There’s that Beckett quote I love about the artist’s task being to “find a form that accommodates the mess.” That’s exactly what writing this piece felt like: trying to capture the mess (of getting things wrong, of learning, of self-examination) in all its glorious complexity. As I understand it, the playwright’s job is to create the conditions in which thinking becomes unavoidable. If you want to tell someone what to think, you’re probably better off doing a podcast or a TED Talk.
Also, it’s a satirical comedy in the later slot at the King’s Head, so bring your drinks!
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Rowling In It by Laura Kay Bailey, King’s Head Theatre, 6-18 April, 9pm, https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/rowling-in-it-zwy4