HALF ME, HALF YOU

Half me, Half you debuted in New York at The Wild Project as part of the Fresh Fruit Festival in July 2018. It then played in London at the Tristan Bates Theatre (Off West End) and the Tabard Theatre. It received rave reviews in both cities and returned to the Tristan Bates Theatre in March 2019, where it garnered further critical acclaim.

Liane Grant received the award for Outstanding Play at the Fresh Fruit Festival, where Jennifer Fouché also received the award for Outstanding Featured Actress.

Photographs: Scott Rylander

What if you were black, gay and a woman in America right now?

Jess and Meredith are a married, interracial, gay couple living in New York in 2017 – the era of Trump – weathering a new wave of intolerance, discrimination and oppression, which is sweeping the nation and seeping into their home.

16 years later, Maya, a biracial British teen is forced into American life, braving the aftermath of a second civil war, and changing Meredith’s life irrevocably.

In her remarkable writing debut, Liane Grant’s Half me, half you confronts the reality of the current global climate and explores the consequences for future generations, while reminding us that we are all simply people searching for love and acceptance.

“Jennifer Fouché and Liane Grant gave warm, powerful and heart-felt performances as married couple Jess and Meredith. Together they shine a light on the adversity brought by external forces into their lives, exploring the expectation of both womanhood, marriage as well as their own careers and ambitions. Kalea Williams as Maya gave a committed and moving performance. . . the wonderfully comic Evelyn Christina Tonn as Deb. She was able to create moments of honesty and poignancy through humour. . . The writer confidently draws on themes of racism, homophobia and being female and expectations of motherhood and womanhood in a drama that excels in bringing to the stage untold stories reflecting a truth that is complex and largely unseen on stage.” (Entertainment Focus, London)

“Astonishing. Amazing. Spectacular. . . Come see this incredible show!” (Outerstage, New York)

“powerful and heart-breaking; Liane Grant knows how to write dialogue.” (Everything Theatre, London)

“The first half, in particular, is the stuff of acting with considerable skill. . . compelling.” (LondonTheatre1)

“The actors of this production brought vigour and power to this dark drama. . .  Wonderful performances were turned in by Jennifer Fouché, Liane Grant, Kalea Williams, and Evelyn Christina Tonn. . . starkly real performances.  However, the star of the show was the play by Liane Grant, which serves up a strong message about what could happened if we don’t listen right now to the signs all around us.” (Drama Queens Reviews, New York)

We’re delighted to announce we are partnering with Stop Hate UK, one of the leading national organisations working to challenge all forms of Hate Crime and discrimination. The vital work they do ties directly in with the themes of racism, homophobia and sexism explored in the play. Please learn more about them at www.stophateuk.org.

After a performance of the show on 1st April 2019, there was a live-streamed Q&A for audience members hosted by Terri Paddock, founder of WhatsOnStage, MyTheatreMates and StageFaves. The panel included Olivier Award winning actor/director Maria Friedman; Chief Executive of Stop Hate UK, Rose Simkins; the playwright/actor Liane Grant; and actors Kalea Williams and Toccarra Cash, with additional input from the director Leah Fogo. The audience included invited students from local schools, and we engaged in a riveting and important discussion on some of the issues dealt with in the play, including racism, sexism and other forms of hate and discrimination, the current state of politics in both the UK and USA, the impact of these on the arts industry and the implications for the future. We are particularly proud to have hosted this event and so incredibly grateful to all involved. You can watch the full Q&A here:

CAST:
Meredith – LIANE GRANT
Jess – TOCCARRA CASH
Maya – KALEA WILLIAMS
Deb – LAURA SHIPLER CHICO

CREATIVES:
Director – LEAH FOGO
Producers – LIANE GRANT, ROXANNE LAMENDOLA
StageManager – EMILY LAWES
Deputy Stage Manager – MELISSA BERRY
Assistant Stage Managers/Interns – BETHANIE THOMAS, KAYLEIGH CORBIN
Set Design – JUSTIN WILLIAMS, JOHNNY RUST
Lighting Design – HOLLY ELLIS
Sound Design – SCOTT STAIT
Publicity Design – KATIE GABRIEL ALLEN

PREVIOUS VENUES:

• The Wild Project, New York (Fresh Fruit Festival) – 11^th, 12^th & 14^th July 2018
• Tristan Bates Theatre, London – 16^th July 2018
• The Tabard Theatre, London – 17^th-21^st July 2018
• Tristan Bates Theatre, London – 26^th March – 6^th April 2019

PREVIOUS CAST:
Jess – JENNIFER FOUCHÉ
Deb – EVELYN CHRISTINA TONN

PREVIOUS CREATIVES:
Set, props & costume design – VERITY JOHNSON
Stage Manager/Lighting & Sound Op – MOLLY SHERIDAN

AWARDS: