Interview: Bailey Swilley's GIMME A SIGN! and A BABY FOR ME? at SoHo Playhouse

New York-based writer, comedian and storyteller Bailey Swilley will bring two of her solo shows to SoHo Playhouse for a four-performance engagement this September. Gimme A Sign! will be presented September 17 and 20 at 7 p.m., while A Baby For Me? No Thank You, Please! will play September 18 and 19 at 7 p.m.

In 2024 and 2025, she took Gimme A Sign! to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, receiving critical acclaim in both runs. Gimme a Sign! was an official selection in the United Solo Festival, The Gotham Storytelling Festival, The Days of the Dead Festival and The Unicycle Festival, where it won the Audience Choice Award. On it, Swilley talks about mourning, empathy, her relationship with her father, and her search for validation.

Her newer show, A Baby For Me? No Thank You, Please!, arrives at SoHo Playhouse following a 2026 New York Fringe run.

We spoke about the upcoming shows and the process of writing and refining them.

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Where did you first get the inspiration for these two shows?
Gimme a Sign! is something I've been working on for about seven years. It's evolved over time—titles have changed, jokes are added and tweaked constantly, there are slides... but the story about family, ghosts, and love remains the same. The show is a love letter to my parents and grandparents, with a healthy dose of humor and angst.

A Baby For Me? is a more recent concept. When I got married a few years ago, the motherhood question came up constantly... even on the dancefloor of my wedding. The conversations I was having were making me second-guess myself—maybe I didn't actually know what I wanted. When I was faced with a particularly unique gynecological situation, I found the answer... inside of me all along. 

What kind of feedback have you been getting to Gimme a Sign! so far? Who do you think is in your target audience?
I think any millennial woman can relate to Gimme a Sign!, so perhaps they're my target. But I've also found that the show has connected deeply with people (of all ages) who have lost someone, because it's really about how grief tears us open and changes us forever. And even though the show talks about ghosts, signs, psychics and witchy stuff, it's ultimately about the things we do to remember the people we love—anyone can relate to that. 

Can you tell me a little bit about how you've crafted each show? How did they change and evolve over the course of previous performances?
Every show starts as a series of essays—mini stories. And then I find a narrative arc among those essays and put them into a script and fully formed show, with illustrations, photos, sound cues and songs—really bringing the whole vision to life. That being said, I am not precious about my shows and will change the script constantly. If a joke doesn't land, if something doesn't make sense or click... it's out! In the words of Ariana Grande, "Thank u, next!"

What have you been filling your time with lately?

I'm writing essays on my Substack/newsletter The Bailey Mail, I'm coaching and consulting other storytellers and writers on their essays and solo show work, and I am going to Rockaway Beach and Brooklyn city pools. I am beyond grateful for our NYC Parks Department, keeping us cool and sane during this super-hot summer.

Do you have any other upcoming projects you'd like to share with us?
I'm thinking a lot about the future of both of these shows. I'm turning Gimme a Sign! into a memoir of essays... with a new title that I'll keep to myself for now. :) And A Baby For Me? is heading to The Lyric Hyperion in Los Angeles and The Den Theatre in Chicago this fall. I'm excited to embark on a little U.S. tour—my first! 

Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me. I also do storytelling shows across the city (including my monthly hour We Love a Theme at Pete's Candy Store).

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For more information, follow Bailey at @heybailay or check out baileyswilley.com