Half a Person, The Kings Arms, Salford, 20th June 2015
Perhaps the most special thing about the upstairs theatre at The Kings Arms is its simplicity. In a dark attic with only old pub chairs to sit on, there can be little room for the spectacular settings and props seen in many of Greater Manchester’s more renowned venues. There would be no room for the pyrotechnics that recently accompanied The Funfair at HOME, for example. And there is no way you will ever go to this Salford boozer to see the stage become a character in its own right, like it did at The Lowry during The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time.
Some may see this as a limitation in a theatre. But what it really means is this; to put on a show that mesmerises and enthrals in the way that Half a Person does, you’re relying on the strength of the script, the hook of the story, and the ability of the cast.
Let’s start with the story. Half a Person is a one-man show that focuses on William (Joe Presley), a twenty-something Londoner who has spent most of his short life living in a self-obsessed bubble. He goes from coffee shop, to bar, to theatre lobby, looking for a new girl to fall in love with or a new gullible friend to buy him drinks. When his ‘relationships’ inevitably go to pot in the early stages, he acts as if he is the only person this has ever happened to and goes to see his friend Rick to discuss his latest devastation.
But then a few things happen all at once, and William starts to change. He meets Salome, a girl that not only matches up to his requirements for full lips, pale skin, and a somewhat ice queen like persona, but also seems to get him and share his interests. At the same time, his friend Rick gets ill. William has to think about other people for the first time in his life, and the way he reacts begins to determine how he can really feel about himself as a person.
Perhaps the most important thing to happen to William in these life-changing months, though, takes place when Rick plays him a record by The Smiths. The cult Manchester band become the first real love of his life.
It’s probably important to say right now that Half a Person is largely a play for fans of The Smiths. Those who don’t get along with Messrs Morrissey and Marr might still find it amusing at times and touching at others, but a love and understanding of the band will lift it from good to great. William actually loves them so much that he narrates his life via their songs. From his first date with Salome, where they meet at the ‘Cemetery Gates’, to his causing their first rift when his ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’, onto his realising that he might just not be ‘This Charming Man’ after all, and that maybe ‘William, it Was Really Nothing’ might be the song that sums up all the dramas of his life. And we don’t just get these song titles mentioned casually in the script. Instead, whenever a Smiths song is particular relevant to the story, Presley breaks out into song.
It’s a slightly strange concept to get used to at first. But, once you warm to it, it becomes clear that this is a play that could only work with some as talented and charismatic as Presley at its centre. Not only does he have a powerful voice that suits the mournful songs perfectly, but he also commands the stage throughout, representing the whole range of emotions with a rare ease. He’s funny, can cry on command, and is so believable that it was strange to see him in the bar afterwards, no longer in character. Oh, and he does a bloody good Salford accent too.
Combining such a talented actor with a story that touches all the right nerves at the right times is a pretty much guaranteed recipe for success. Throw in a few of the best songs ever written and well, who the hell needs fancy staging, pyrotechnics, and props. Once again, The Kings Arms shows that it can mix it with the best venues on offer.
Fran Slater