Reviews

***** “a drama that excels” (Entertainment Focus) ***** “spectacular” (Outerstage New York)

**** “powerful and heartbreaking” (Everything Theatre)

Praise for the writing

***** Entertainment Focus, London: Katy Davies

“Half Me, Half you is a bold piece of work…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 in theatre. Core to the writing was love that embraces differences as well as similarities, that can be exceptionally powerful when shared to unite us for the greater good against the enemy of hate.”

**** Everything Theatre, London: Rob Warren

“Powerful and heart-breaking; Liane Grant knows how to write dialogue…What makes Half Me, Half You so remarkable is that even with the complete dystopia that the second half offers up, it is done with a beautiful subtlety. Nothing is forced down your throat, there is no preaching about how the white majority caused this to happen; it hints at things rather than shouts about them. It uses them as a backdrop to examine the state of the world as it is today, where racism, homophobia and sexism are almost being made acceptable, and hate crime is on the rise. Half Me, Half You may say Trump on the cover, but this could easily have used Brexit as its focus and come to the same conclusion. And for that reason, this play is well worth the time of any left leaning theatre loving person, be they white, black, gay, straight, male or female.”

**** London Theatre One, London: Chris Omaweng

“A compelling, if rather bleak, take on what the future could hold for a child born in 2017, this is a thoughtful and hardhitting play.”

Arts Independent, New York: Robert Viagas

“This deeply earnest and sober drama attempts to deal with real issues of our time in an uncompromising way.”

On Stage, New York: Anthony J. Piccione

“Deciding whether or not you and your partner do or do not want kids is a big factor…Particularly when it’s a gay or lesbian couple, who have been planning with medical assistance to have a baby for a while…This is exactly the dynamic that is explored beautifully in Half Me, Half You, the new drama by Liane Grant, that recently played at the Fresh Fruit Festival, and at this point, easily ranks as one of my favorite plays of the year. When thinking about what defines a well-written play, in terms of whether or not the plot, characters, and dialogue are all able to pull the audience in, this play defines exactly that, and does a masterful job at telling a story that feels authentic and powerful, and leaves audiences thinking about the similar realities that many real life couples are also facing, in terms of love, marriage, the differences and problems that allows them to fall apart, and also the role that race often plays in these relationships. Furthermore, the subject matter – and the contemporary backdrop, in which the play largely takes place – makes it feel all the more timely, and certainly is guaranteed to resonate strongly with a wide audience.

I can only name two or three shows off the top of my head, thus far in 2018, that have left me on the verge of tears, and this is one of them. The fact that it’s a play that I myself can’t personally relate to from my own life, but nonetheless, left me feeling emotionally connected and deeply sympathetic toward, is a strong testament to Ms. Grant’s writing… I do hope that this isn’t the last we’ll be hearing about this play, or at the very least, that we’ll have many more works from this playwright/actor to look forward to.”

Drama Queens Reviews, New York: Alexa Garcia

“This is a beautiful and alarming story…the star of the show was the play, by Liane Grant, which serves up a strong message about what could happen if we don’t listen right now to the signs all around us.”

Outerstage, New York: Amanda Kavaja

“Astonishing. Amazing. Spectacular…Come see this incredible show!”

Praise for the performances

***** Entertainment Focus, London: Katy Davies

“Jennifer Fouche and Liane Grant gave warm, powerful and heartfelt 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 and marriage, as well as their own careers and ambitions.”

**** London Theatre One, London: Chris Omaweng

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

Drama Queens Reviews, New York: Alexa Garcia

“The actors of this production brought vigour and power to this dark drama…Wonderful performances were turned in by Jennifer Fouche and Liane Grant.”