Practitioner focus: Parabolic Theatre

Within the broad spectrum of immersive theatre, there are few companies that match Parabolic Theatre when it comes to depth of interactivity. The core of its work has placed audiences in the driving seat for a series of historical crises both real and imagined, allowing audiences to experience the horrifying reality of a Nazi invasion of wartime Britain or save the 1979 Callaghan government from the rise of Thatcher.

Founded in 2016 in Croydon, Parabolic were initially inspired by immersive giants Punchdrunk, with whom they are now favourably compared. Parabolic stand out in one key area: where immersive work is commonly large scale, Parabolic's shows are nearly always designed for audiences of less than fifty; its shows are as detailed as they are intimate. Interactivity is at the heart of every Parabolic performance. Described by some as ‘forum theatre on steroids’, Parabolic makes the audience the collective protagonist from the start, bending the narrative around their input. Whether they are embodying a hastily assembled wartime government or a collection of Labour spads trying to fix the economy, Parabolic audiences are always at the centre of the story.