Parallel Lines

Synopsis

A Welsh classroom 

Steph, a troubled 15-year-old from a difficult home life, accuses her teacher Simon of an inappropriate relationship. As the allegation sends shockwaves through their small community, Simon and his wife Julia grapple with the fallout, while Steph’s volatile mother Melissa confronts her own past traumas. Katherine Chandler’s “Parallel Lines” is a searing exploration of truth, power dynamics, and the ripple effects of accusation in an age of heightened awareness around abuse.

The play unfolds through a series of tense, emotionally charged scenes that shift between different perspectives and timelines. Chandler’s razor-sharp dialogue crackles with class tensions and generational divides, exposing the complex web of motivations behind each character’s actions. As the truth becomes increasingly murky, the play delves into themes of institutional failure, the vulnerability of at-risk youth, and the lasting scars of childhood trauma. Through its unflinching examination of a community in crisis, “Parallel Lines” challenges audiences to confront their own biases and assumptions about guilt, innocence, and the nature of truth itself.