The Half

Lucy McNally for Fabric Productions in association with Danielle Ward & Anna Crilly present The Half

The Half, which enjoyed a sold out run at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival and was a huge hit at VAULT Festival 2019, is a new play from award winning writer and comedian Danielle Ward (Do The Right Thing, Not Going Out, The News Quiz). Starring British Comedy Award nominee Anna Crilly (Succession, Lead Balloon, Extras) and Margaret Cabourn-Smith (Miranda, Motherland, Catastrophe).

Directed by critically acclaimed writer and comedian Anna Macgowan.


"I’ve been doing this for 17 years. I thought I’d got better. Funnier, sharper, more confident, with more to say about the world. Turns out I just got old"


Thirty minutes before curtain up, in the half, a female double act meet for the first time in over a decade. Now approaching their 50s in an industry rife with ageism, Cathy and Nell must put their differences aside to perform together once more. Ambition, friendship, motherhood, ageing and mice are all explored in this tragicomedy.


Read the full Guardian article about The Half here


Praise for The Half


  • Top 10 Shows to See at VAULT Festival 2019 - Metro

  • Top 10 Theatre Shows at the Fringe 2018 – Evening Standard

  • One of the Best Shows to see at the Fringe 2018 – The Guardian

  • Top Theatre Pick at the Fringe 2018 - Metro

  • 'Darkly comic...the performances by Anna Crilly and Margaret Cabourn-Smith are exceptional. Take tissues.' - Metro

  • 'Ward's script is masterful... Filled with elegant one-liners. It works on every level' - Scotsman ****

  • ‘Brutally funny... intelligent and moving’ – The Guardian

  • ‘Knockout performances full of wit, venom and extraordinary pathos’ - Bechdel Theatre

  • ‘Crilly and Cabourn-Smith deliver haunting and mesmerising performances’ – Chortle

  • ‘The Half is an hour of switched on, unapologetic theatre’ - EdFest Magazine ****

  • ‘Expertly balances both its comedy and its tragedy’ - one4review *****

  • ‘Richly rewarding...Excellent’ -Edinburgh 49+3

  • 'Excellent...could go down as a classic' View from the Cheap Seats