The Tao of Lloyd - Edinburgh Fringe Interview

In our ongoing Edinburgh Fringe 2026 interview series, we are speaking to artists and creatives who are bringing their shows to the Scottish capital this summer.

In this interview, we speak with David Trainor about his show The Tao of Lloyd.

What can you tell me about your show?
Imagine yourself and your favorite album of your rebellious youth, now middle-aged, but still spinning on a turntable in a microwave of manifest destiny. The Tao of Lloyd is a solo show that imagines Lloyd Dobler (yes, the teenage boombox romantic from the 1980s film Say Anything) as a middle-aged zen-punk dissident duct-taping ancient spiritual wisdom to the collapse of the American empire, with deep gratitude and zero credentials.

The show is part political satire, part Gen X cultural exorcism, and part kinda-sorta guided meditation to survive late-stage effin' everything.

It is written and performed by yours truly, Dennis Trainor Jr., and directed by Olivier Award winner Guy Masterson.

How would you describe the style of your show to anyone who has never seen you before?
Funny, intimate, and a little feral. It blends storytelling, satire, cultural commentary, and spiritual inquiry.
What was the lightbulb moment that led to the creation of this piece?
The lightbulb moment was realizing that Lloyd Dobler’s famous refusal — “I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything” — wasn’t just a charming teenage line. It was a tiny anti-capitalist flare fired from inside a romantic comedy.

In 1989, it sounded idealistic. In 2026, it sounds like emergency instructions.

But at a certain point, “no” must grow up too.

So the spark was asking: what happens after the refusal? What do we actually stand for? That’s where the show lives: one foot in stopping the machine, the other in trying to imagine a new world without immediately ruining it with a mission statement, a TED Talk, and a subscription tier.

What makes 2026 the perfect year for this specific story or performance?
Because 2026 feels like a very strange birthday party for the world’s worst group project.

America is turning 250, the old myths are wobbling, authoritarianism is not exactly being subtle, and everyone is being asked to pretend that collapse is just another branding opportunity.

So this feels like the right year to bring a show about refusal, conscience, memory, and spiritual disobedience to the Fringe. It’s not a nostalgia piece. It’s not “remember the boombox?” It’s more: what do we do with the parts of ourselves that refused to be swallowed by the machine when we were young? Are they still there? Can we wake them back up before it’s too late?

How will you mentally and physically prepare for a run at the Fringe?
Mentally, I will attempt to remain calm, humble, grateful, and emotionally available.

Physically, I’ll be walking a lot, stretching, hydrating, protecting my voice, and trying not to behave like a typical American man in his fifties who thinks “rest” is a character flaw and “pushing through” is a healthcare plan.

If you couldn’t use a flyer to attract audiences, what ridiculous object would you hand out to people to get them into your show?
A small paper crown that says: “I survived the empire and all I got was this matinee recommendation.”

What is the one item in your Fringe Survival Kit that you can’t live without at the Fringe?
Comfortable shoes.

What would you deem as success at the end of the Fringe?
Success would be leaving Edinburgh knowing that the show found its audience.

Of course, I want full houses, strong reviews, future opportunities, and hyperbolic comparisons to Fringe success stories like Fleabag. I mean, let's be honest.

But the deeper success is connection. If audiences come out laughing, thinking, a little unsettled, maybe a little more awake, and feeling less alone in the madness — that is success.

Other than your own show, are there any other shows you would recommend at the Fringe this year?
Scaramouche Jones, Call Me Elizabeth, Ludwig: Unfinished Business, 11.5 Angry Men, Don’t you Forget About Me. Also: I’m always drawn to shows that feel like they had to be made — not because the marketplace demanded them, but because the artist would have exploded otherwise.

What is one Edinburgh spot that you would recommend people to visit when they're not watching performances?
The Fringe can make you feel like the entire universe is made of crazy shows, like that couple workshopping a jukebox musical about their divorce built entirely around Fleetwood Mac covers, audience participation, and an accordion. (That is not really a show, but it should be!) Which is amazing, until, you know…it’s not, and you need a break. To escape from it all, to literally get above it all, set aside a few hours and climb up Arthur’s Seat.

Can you describe the show in 5 words?
Zen-punk survival for collapsing empires.

What keeps you inspired?
I’m inspired by the fact that humor keeps surviving. Empires rise and fall, algorithms mutate, billionaires build bunkers, and still someone somewhere is making a joke that hits at the truth. That gives me hope.

And I’m truly inspired by people who refuse to acquiesce.

Artists, activists, teachers, students, parents, friends — anyone trying to stay awake and kind in a brutalizing culture. I’m inspired by people who keep telling the truth even when the truth can’t afford a publicist.

What would you hope someone takes away from seeing the show?
I hope they leave feeling entertained, yes. I want them to laugh. I want them to have a good time.
I also hope they leave with a renewed sense that refusal can be sacred. That staying human is a practice. That kindness is not weakness. That humor is not escape — it can be a form of clarity.

When and where can people see the show?
The Tao of Lloyd runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe from 6–30 August 2026 at Assembly Rooms, Drawing Room, at 12:25.

Tickets are available from https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/the-tao-of-lloyd