Zelly's career in Arts Management began in 2009 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she served as the Company Manager and Assistant Producer for seven shows with The Lincoln Company. During this time, she also directed, co-wrote, and starred in The Shade Ain’t Right at C Venues, a show that received rave reviews and was nominated for an Amnesty International Award. Between 2009 and 2012, she worked as a Production Assistant on various projects for Andy Jordan Productions.

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In 2011, she independently produced the UK premiere of Alex Broun’s Half a Person: My Life as Told by The Smiths with Cross Cut Theatre Company. The production achieved a sell-out run at The Lincoln Drill Hall, with additional dates added due to overwhelming demand. Later that year, she established her own production company before returning to Andy Jordan Productions as an Assistant Producer from 2013 to 2015. Notable credits during this period include September in the Rain, starring Claire Sweeney and John Thomson (National Tour), and Foreplay, starring Lesley Harcourt, whose performance earned a nomination for Best Actress at the Off West End Awards (Kings Head Theatre, London).