Shay Mace
Arriving from an award-winning season at Adelaide Fringe earlier this year, Melissa Pullinger and The CRAM Collective will be bringing their one-woman show Meteors to Summerhall as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this month. Melissa describes the piece as unpacking the messy, non-linear aftermath of losing a mother at age 20, the vastness of the universe, too many lasagnes and the search for light in the dark. We caught up with Melissa for a pixelated pint to find out why she’s decided to bring the story to the EdFringe stage.
You can catch Meteors at the Former Womens Locker Room at Summerhall on August 6th – 31st (not the 17th or 24th) from 21:00 (60mins). Tickets are available through the Summerhall Online Box Office.
Shay: Hi Melissa, tell us about Meteors, and what’s made you decide to bring such a personal story to the stage now.
Melissa: Meteors is a one woman show about mums, stars, grief and lasagne. After losing my mum when I was only 20, I realised grief isn’t part of the conversation, particularly for young people, so a lot of the time things just go unsaid. No one knows what to say or maybe they’re scared of saying the wrong thing, so grief becomes almost taboo. It’s been 6 years since my mum passed away and writing/developing this show has been a special way to safely process my grief and honour my mum. Our director, Connor Reidy, almost lost his mum at a young age, and together we realised that the grief has shaped who we are as humans and artists, and we want to make work that speaks to that experience. We’re ready to crack open these conversations, and after six years of feeling like I’ve had to tip-toe around my grief, I’m looking forward to sharing this show with audiences, as it’s honest and full of heart.
Shay: How has the creative process been of putting the show together? Give us an idea of the journey you’ve been on with it so far.
Melissa: The idea for this show began 5 years ago, during my acting training, where I performed a 5min autobiographical, devised piece. That became the first bones of the show and since then I slowly began chipping away at writing a full draft. I approached my theatre company, The CRAM Collective, with the idea and we were incredibly lucky to receive a residency at The Mill in Adelaide, where we could devise and rehearse the show with our creative team. After the death of our mums, Connor and I both found ourselves looking out. There’s no stopping a meteor, once it starts to hurtle towards earth, in a similar way to being unable to stop an illness like cancer, or the grief. It’s completely out of your control, and instead the meteor leaves this crater that you carry for the rest of your life.
We had an incredibly successful premiere season at the Adelaide Fringe, winning four awards including Emerging Artist, Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready, Holden Street Theatre Award and the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Award. These awards have ensured a future life for Meteors and we can’t wait to share it with international audiences!
Shay: What will be the first thing the audience sees, feels, and hears as they enter the space?
Melissa: For this show we worked with an incredible sound designer, Will Spartalis. The soundscape he’s created invites the audience in and helps create the sense of there being more out there in the universe. The set is simple with just a chair and rug, allowing me to take the audience on a journey through the writing.
Shay: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?
Melissa: Through Meteors we want to break the taboo around grief. It’s been amazing chatting to audiences after the show and sharing stories and memories of personal experiences. As unfortunate as it is, grief is a universal experience. We wanted to make a piece of work that taps into this experience and pulls back the curtain on how all-consuming grief can be, but also, at times, how it can be awkward and funny, and embarrassing and beautiful and loving as well.
Shay: What journey has the show been on to find itself at EdFringe 2026?
Melissa: After an award winning season at the Adelaide Fringe, we’re incredibly excited to be bringing Meteors to Summerhall for the full run of Edinburgh Fringe. This will be CRAM’s first international tour, and as avid Adelaide Fringe goers, we can’t wait to be part of the biggest Fringe in the world.
Shay: With EdFringe now just around the corner, what are you most excited for?
Melissa: We’re incredibly excited to tour this work and continue to share the show with audiences around the world. It’s incredibly special to be coming over and representing Adelaide, with a cohort of other incredible artists. We’re so ready to immerse ourselves in all things Fringe for the second time this year!
Shay: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?
Melissa: We’ve described the feeling of leaving Meteors as getting a warm hug – so for that reason it’s gotta be a hot chocolate! Comforting, familiar and with maybe a few chocolate stains around your mouth, this show leaves you with something special.
A reminder, you can catch Meteors at the Former Womens Locker Room at Summerhall on August 6th – 31st (not the 17th or 24th) from 21:00 (60mins). Tickets are available through the Summerhall Online Box Office.
Image Credit: Kyahm Ross
