Review: PARALLEL LIVES, Oldham Coliseum Theatre
Photo credit: Sarah Wardle
The world of theatre received a new addition in November 2021 with the creation of In Parallel Productions, a new female led production company based in the Northwest, with the aim to empower and shine a spotlight on fellow northern creatives and to inspire both the current and next generation with their productions. After a successful launch night last month, In Parallel Productions have now kickstarted their journey in the industry with their debut production, Parallel Lives.
Originally written by and starring actresses and comedians Mo Gaffney and Kathy Najimy back in the late 80s for an Off-Broadway run of The Kathy & Mo Show: Parallel Lives, the comedic and insightful Parallel Lives explores various stories of people from different walks of life through several skits of the different roles of men and women, and even supreme beings. To say this piece was written over 30 years ago, it is still very relevant to life as it is now with the topics it brings to light and its humour has certainly aged well as it is still hilarious and relatable for a modern audience.
For In Parallel’s first produced play, company founders Stacey Coleman and Suzanne Fulton decided to lead by example and star in this two-woman show themselves; in doing so they have set the bar high with such an eccentric and amusing performance. Coleman and Fulton showcase their versatility as actors by multi-rolling as many different characters across the collection of skits, and their chemistry onstage together is unparalleled, which really brings to life each of the relationships between all of the characters in every scene.
Direction for this production of Parallel Lives comes from non-binary theatre creative Leni Murphy and they have truly done a wonderful job of it. Both actors remain onstage throughout the entire show and remain a part of the scene even when they are not the centre of the piece. The use of step ladders to create levels and ottomans to be used as both set pieces and prop storage is a clever and inventive move from Murphy which really pulls the whole piece together as it helps maintain the play’s flow between the scene changes of each skit.
For a new company without any funding as of yet, In Parallel Productions have brought an excellent production of Parallel Lives to the northwest of England that provides you with endless laughter and ignites thought provoking conversations about life. After a one night only performance at the Oldham Coliseum Studio Theatre, Parallel Lives will embark on a tour and its next stop will be The Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester. In Parallel Productions may be fairly new to the scene, but they are certainly ones to watch, and we are excited to see what they do next as their company grows.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Jess Dalloway
Parallel Lives plays at the Hope Mill Theatre on 25 & 26 February, with tickets available here.