Q&A: Basic Bald B*tch

Writer and performer Emily Glaze is making her Edinburgh Fringe debut with an incredibly personal solo show, BASIC BALD B*TCH. Combining drag and comedy and perhaps even some lip-syncing, the show explores living with alopecia and fighting against beauty standards. We’re delighted that Emily has taken time ahead of the Fringe to talk to The Recs.

Hello Emily. Congratulations on making your Edinburgh Fringe debut. Are you at the excited stage, the what-am-I-doing stage or are you still sorting out the many practicalities needed to take the road to Edinburgh?

Hi! Thank you so much! Honestly every day is mad at the moment. SO busy. But I kind of like it that way. If I have time to think about it too much then it all feels like A LOT, you know? Fringe is a beast. But it’s so exciting. I’ve been planning this for a really long time so I also feel really ready.

Reading about BASIC BALD B*TCH, I’ve seen it described as being “for anyone who has felt afraid to be seen”. That’s quite a leap from feeling like that to appearing at the world’s largest arts festival. Why do you want to bring the show to the Fringe?

For a lot of my life I’ve been scared of people finding out that I had alopecia. Hiding it in the most ridiculous ways. Bringing this show to the Fringe is for that younger version of me. So it absolutely has to be the biggest arts festival. Go big or go… bald? Or even better, both!

Let’s get into the nitty gritty: can you give our readers a sense of what the show is about?

Absolutely! The show is about what it means to lose your hair and the lengths you’ll go to desperately try and fit in. Because hair is everything, right? It’s camp, messy, tragic, silly and tender.

At what point did you decide to take your personal experiences and turn them into a solo show? Was that like a lightbulb moment of “let’s put on a show” or was it something that took careful consideration over a period of time?

I never really intended to write a show about being bald. I actually couldn’t write the word bald or wig or alopecia for the first, second or probably even third draft. The first version of this show was a ten minute monologue I performed at a scratch night five years ago! It’s taken time to develop it into the piece it is today.

Where do you start as a writer creating something like BASIC BALD B*TCH? Because all of it is your life. How do you choose what serves the story you are telling theatrically?

I have to give my dramaturg, Maddie Beautyman, a massive shout out here. She has worked closely with me on this script for a long time. And now it’s getting published by Methuen Drama! Being close to the subject matter is tricky because sometimes you can’t see the bigger picture, that’s why having a dramaturg is so essential. It’s also not a completely true account of my life, a lot of it is made up! Distancing myself to the character but basing key events on my lived experiences was a really important part of the process and has allowed me to dive into the performance without fear.

Looking at the content warnings of strong language, body shaming and body hatred and sexual assault, you could be forgiven thinking that it will be all doom and gloom – but it’s not is it?

I wanted to create something that wasn’t afraid of going to dark places. Because shit happens. But I also wanted the show to be a celebration too. The highs and lows in the play are really intentional. It’s fun and silly and tragic in equal measure.

The first public outing of the show was at the Housemates Theatre Festival in London in 2024. What was that like putting it in front of a paying audience for the first time? Did hearing audiences’ reactions unlock aspects of the show for you? And will the Edinburgh Fringe version this year be different from that first outing?

Performing at Housemates Festival was so daunting! We were still developing the script and it was still very much a work in progress. I was so nervous. Having audiences react to it in such a positive way was a huge relief! The feedback was amazing. But I wanted to push it even further. So I kept developing it. Edinburgh Fringe is going to be the show’s first official production! I can’t wait.

This will be your first time performing at the Fringe. What are your expectations? What have people told you to expect?

My first time! Ahhh! People have told me to expect the best and the worst, that it’s exhausting, exhilarating and just pure mayhem.

I believe that there’s something very special happening there on Saturday 8th August?

Yes! We’ve organised a meet up for people with alopecia, hair loss or visible differences (and their friends/family!) to come and hang out before and after the performance on Saturday 8th August! If you’re part of this group, we’ve also got a cheeky discount for the show too. It’s all about connection, community and creating a space to feel comfortable to be exactly as you are. For anyone interested in joining us, feel free to reach out to the wonderful Jen here. (Jendavies1990@gmail.com)

And lastly, who do you think should come along and see the show at the Jelly Belly, Underbelly?

If you’re fans of drag, cabaret and silliness, if you like Britney, Charli xcx and Chappell Roan mixed with a big dollop of sadness (happy tears, sad tears, all the tears), if you like new writing (did I mention we’re getting published?!) then this is the show for you.