Liane Grant Breathes Life into the production of “Half Me, Half You”
Great actors do so much more than just play characters well. They become the character, they live and breath them, and that extends to the chemistry their character has with the other characters, the authenticity of their relationships and their place within the overarching story.
Whether she’s acting on the stage or screen, actress Liane Grant, who’s originally from the South East of England, knows the importance of tapping into all of the layers of her characters from the physical and emotional lever to their relationship with others and the story being told.
“Liane’s passion is unmatched by anyone I’ve ever met. And luckily, she has the talent to back it up. Liane will work tirelessly to produce the best result in every production, every time. Her acting talent alone is mesmerizing, but combine that with a dedication and drive that won’t quit, and it creates a powerhouse performer you can’t take your eyes off of,” says Roxanne Lamendola, who co-produced Grant’s recent play “Half Me, Half You.”
It’s apparent that actress Liane Grant, who first began performing at the age 6, was born for the stage. Her love for performing pulses through her veins in a way that shows in her work. Since deciding at the age of 13 that acting was her unequivocal destiny, she’s starred in numerous high profile theatre productions, such as Pembroke Players’ production of “Much Ado About Nothing,” which toured Japan and the UK, “A Happy Side As Well” performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, “Taken in Marriage,” which ran at the Waterloo East Theatre, and more.
“For the two hours that I’m on stage, I’m not thinking about anything else other than who I am as the character and what is happening to me in that moment. I am literally living in the moment and it is the most freeing thing to do. It is the most exhilarating feeling that I’ve ever had,” explains Grant.
“To me, it also feels like a form of prayer in some ways. I know that might sound strange but I take that concept in a very broad way and I feel like I didn’t choose acting that it found me and was therefore a gift given to me from whatever source of higher power might exist. And so to do it and use that gift with my full being and whole heart, is a way of giving thanks for having been given this thing that I love so much.”
One of Grant’s recent and highly acclaimed productions is the play “Half Me, Half You,” which she wrote, starred in and produced. “Half Me, Half You,” which debuted at the Fresh Fruit Festival in New York in 2018 earned Grant the festival’s prestigious Outstanding Playwright Award, as well as an Outstanding Featured Performer Award for her costar Jennifer Fouche. The production was so well received in fact that, not only did the play enjoy successful theatrical runs in both the U.S. and the U.K., but there is talk about “Half Me, Half You” being made into a series.
Bringing to life the story of Meredith (played by Grant) and Jess (played by Fouche), an interracial, married, gay couple living in New York circa 2017, “Half Me, Half You” dives deep into themes of racism, homophobia and societal expectations of women; as well as the potential future of the U.S. if racial tensions and bipartisan political warfare continue to pit citizens against one another.
There’s a new wave of overt oppression and inequality, alongside the LGBTQ community, Muslims, immigrants and women. The fear and the tension manages to seep into even the happiest of homes, even that of Jess and Meredith. With Jess set on having a baby, and Meredith complying out of love for her wife, but also from the feeling that it is her duty, the two women make several attempts to conceive, but after three failed attempts, and Jess receiving a once in a lifetime job opportunity in London, their marriage eventually falls apart.
Grant says, “[Meredith] cannot escape the fact that she simply does not want to have a child, and the woman she is devoted to, wants nothing more. Watching her navigate that minefield is so important because we have all been in situations where we hide important parts of ourselves so that we don’t lose those we love the most.”
“Half Me, Half You” earned rave reviews around the world with Everything Theatre calling it “Powerful and heartbreaking,” and Entertainment Focus saying that it’s “a drama that excels.” It’s no wonder that after its successful 2018 showing at the Tristan Bates theater, an Off-West End venue in the UK, that the production was invited to return earlier this year where it had a powerful two-week run in March and April. “Half Me, Half You” was also staged at the UK Fringe Festival venue the Tabard Theatre.
“One woman in London came up to me after the show to thank me for depicting what her own miscarriage had been like and said it helped her heal. I was beyond moved by the responses from so many people who came to see us,” admits Grant. In fact, she says one of the best parts of being a part of the production was “the responses from audiences, in particular, the black audience members in New York, many of whom had visceral responses to the issues being explored by the characters and stories; I think they felt the injustices they continue to suffer were really seen and understood.”
Not only did Grant give a knock-out performance in the starring role of Meredith in “Half Me. Half You,” but as the writer and producer behind the play, she also made extensive efforts to make sure the production had a positive impact on the communities that are central to the play’s story. Considering that it dealt a lot with race issues and prejudice against those in the LGBTQ+ community, she created a partnership between the production of “Half Me, Half You” with the Stop Hate UK charity for the run of the show. They also held a special talk after one of the shows with the CEO of Stop Hate UK and multiple Olivier Award winning actor and director, Maria Friedman.
The story and overall success of “Half Me, Half You” put Grant’s talent as a performer and creative in clear view for the world to see. With several other award-winning works under her belt as an actress, such as the film “Gypo,” which took home the British Independent Film Award, the Best First Feature from the San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival and more, Grant is in a unique position in her career where she is able to choose the roles she wants to play.
“There are lots of things that I look at and consider when I’m choosing projects to work on, and often times it is not just about the character that I’m being asked to play, it’s about the project as a whole. I want to do work that I’m proud of which means that I need to read an entire script and I want to feel attracted to and passionate about the story, and believe in the dialogue,” explains Grant.
“If I’m drawn to the whole script then I would look at my character. This isn’t just about how big the part is it’s about the quality of the role, the depth of the role and whether the character has a journey.”
For Liane Grant, embodying characters and telling stories is a part of who she is, and there’s no doubt that she’ll continue to have a powerful impact on audiences around the world as the future unfolds. Aside from shooting the teaser trailer for the “Half Me, Half You” TV series where she will reprise her role as a Meredith, Grant is also slated to take on a key role as Stephanie Miles in the upcoming series “Emergency: LA.”
