Nailed Productions is a film and theatre production company set up by Edwin Flay and Neil Monaghan. We specialise in off-the-beaten-track biographical stories that explore the hidden inner workings of quiet, unknowable figures, and occasionally follow the impulse into whimsy.
Our projects
The Quality Of Mercy
“People say they want justice, but they don’t. Not really. What they want is power. They want to play God. They’ve no concept of what that means. What it takes. I had that power, I had the brilliance to wield it.”
From his cell in the early hours of the morning, Harold Shipman breaks his silence to record a confessional tape, laying down his version of events as he prepares to take his life.
The Quality Of Mercy premiered at The Courtyard Theatre in London in 2022, directed by Bernie C Byrnes. It will next be performed in the Assembly Rooms Theatre at the Durham Fringe Festival from 26-28 July 2023, before running from August 4-26 in the Grand Theatre at The Space at Surgeons Hall for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The Quality Of Mercy is published by Playdead Press.
[Flay’s] performance is riveting, and meticulous in every respect… This is theatre vérité at its best - London Theatre 1
A living, breathing nightmare… It’s creepy and sadistic and so so so good - Always Time For Theatre
Compelling… Flay excels - The Reviews Hub
Press coverage for The Quality Of Mercy
An Unkind Word
Tom Spurlock, a rumpled, obscure politician in his early 60s, toils in obscurity, largely unnoticed by party and public alike. However, when a new website that grades MPs in terms of attractiveness hits the news, he suddenly finds himself very much in the public eye.
An Unkind Word played in 13 film festivals worldwide, winning an Indie Spirit Award at Idyllwyld International Festival Of Cinema and a Bronze Remi at Worldfest Houston.
Starring Robert Daws and Susan Penhaligon.
Written and produced by Edwin Flay.
Directed by Neil Monaghan.
A very enjoyable, compelling and superbly made short feature - UK Film Review
I, Spambot
A discarded mobile phone acquires sentience in its dying moments. A whimsical, poignant story of dawning consciousness and AI, written by Edwin Flay and directed by Neil Monaghan - Coming soon!
The Team
Edwin Flay
Edwin is the writer, producer and creator of Nailed Productions. His acting credits include Outlander (Amazon Prime) and the BAFTA winning Suffragettes (BBC). The Quality Of Mercy is his first stage play: it was nominated for the Off West End award for Best New Play, and Edwin was shortlisted for Best Solo Performance in 2022. In addition to his short films, Edwin has written a feature length screenplay about the friendship and enmity between Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle, and is polishing his second, a rock climbing thriller set on a remote Scottish island.
Neil Monaghan
Neil is a writer and director for film, theatre, television and radio. He trained with the BBC, working in post-production for the Film Department, and subsequently left to set up his own production company. He has written multiple award-winning shorts and feature films, including Made In Romania, and his writer-director debut Election Night, which has garnered accolades in film festivals worldwide. Neil turned his hand to videography for the production of The Quality Of Mercy, creating the simple-yet-devastating visual effects that underpin the staging.
Bernie C Byrnes
Bernie is a multi-award-winning writer and director, and holds a PhD in Literary Criticism. She was Dramaturg on award winning shows Muse Of Fire (Shakespeare’s Globe) and Little Soldiers (Theatre Re). International work includes projects in Poland, Switzerland, the USA, Mumbai and Singapore. Previous commissions include the RSC, Soho Theatre, Channel 5, Pluto Productions, Digital Catapult and Blackwatch Entertainment. In addition to directing, Bernie worked as dramaturg on The Quality Of Mercy, shaping the text and structure for staging.
Sarah Lawrie
An established theatre producer, Sarah’s credits include This Bitter Earth (White Bear Theatre), Scrounger (Finborough Theatre), Death Of A Hunter (Finborough Theatre, Brighton Fringe) and e-Baby (Brockley Jack Theatre), as well as Lear Alone, which was Arts Council funded and won Best Online Series at The Off West End Awards 2022. The Quality Of Mercy (Courtyard Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe) is her first collaboration with Nailed Productions. Sarah is also an accomplished actress, who recently completed a national tour of The Mirror Crack’d (Original Theatre).