Laura Kay Bailey's ROWLING IN IT: VILLAIN IN PROGRESS to Make New York Debut at Asylum NYC

​What happens when the role of a lifetime becomes the controversy of a lifetime? Following a London engagement, Laura Kay Bailey will debut her funny theatrical misadventure to New York in ROWLING IN IT: VILLAIN IN PROGRESS, making its New York debut at Asylum NYC for a strictly limited engagement, December 18–23, 2026. Written and performed by Bailey and directed by Dominic Shaw (Associate Director of The Devil Wears Prada), the solo comedy explores ambition, identity, public outrage, and the unexpected consequences of being cast as one of the world's most controversial literary figures. 

Once upon a time, award-winning but completely unknown actress Laura Kay Bailey's life changed as she was cast as J.K. Rowling in an Edinburgh Fringe production about the controversial Harry Potter author. She became the subject of international media attention, outward hostility, and online debate about the production and her participation in it. The Times profiled Bailey as she prepared to portray Rowling, while Sky News reported on threats and online abuse surrounding the production during its Edinburgh engagement.  

Rowling In It is about ambition, getting things wrong, being misunderstood, and the subtle art of learning to let people hate you.