SHAKESPEARE considered all the world a stage but the Oldham Coliseum is a more than satisfactory location to showcase her talents for a Grasscroft raised actor.
So, there will be a sense of pride and achievement for Stacey Coleman when she joins co-collaborator Suzanne Fulton on stage on Friday, February 11 for two performances (4pm and 8pm) of Parallel Lives.
The two-act comedy is also their first offering since forming their own production company, In Parallel, last November.
It will be directed by Leni Murphy, who starred as the cat in the Millgate Arts Centre pantomime, Dick Whittington.
Self-employed actor Stacey, who now lives in Springhead, explained: “There is a lot in our industry where people view it as though you are competing against each other.
“But that’s not the type of industry we see in our network of jobbing actors; people who have different self-employed jobs that are fully flexible for other acting jobs as and when they come in.
“So, it is a very supportive network. We wanted to do something that mirrors that and have been inspired by other female led groups in the north west.
“What we found, even when looking for shows to do, is that there is very little work for two women, over 30 who are working class women but who aren’t deemed as profile names, who aren’t famous or maybe already on the television.”
Stacey, 35, performed as a child in Oldham and throughout her school years at Hulme. However, after leaving she went to Huddersfield University and studied HR.
Starting a career in retail management, Stacey missed performing and retrained as an actor around her working hours.
On completing her training, she gave up the day job and has now worked as a freelance actor for 10 years.
Stacey and Suzanne, 36, launched In Parallel last month and have been busy rehearsing for Parallel Lives by Kathy Najimy and Mo Gaffney.
“It was written in the 90s but what is still scary is that it remains relevant now,” said Stacey.
“It transports us to a universe of different times and different spaces, putting a magnifying glass on the troubles and rituals of modern-day life.
“It is done with humour throughout but with ongoing questions of equity in every sense of that word.
“We truly believe this is a play that will attract a wide audience, encouraging every viewer to find humour in human behaviour and the world around us and also the opportunity to look in the mirror and reflect.
“At this moment particularly, we feel social conscious conversations are happening more than ever, in every walk of life and this play would enrich and further ignite many topics for discussion.”
After the Coliseum, Stacey and Suzanne will stage Parallel Lives at Hope Theatre, Manchester on February 25-26 and Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield on April 2.
“We hope this will be a springboard for us as we don’t have funding at the moment.
“After this, as the next step, we will have work to show to apply for funding, and hopefully be able to recruit some of these amazing local actors who don’t get a shot.
“We are so excited to be producing our own work.”
For ticket information visit https://www.coliseum.org.uk/spektrix/spektrix-events/parallel-lives/ or https://hopemilltheatre.co.uk/events/parallel-lives
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