In a compelling premiere solo work, CRAM Collective co-founder Melissa Pullinger delivers a heartfelt and engaging performance in Meteors, a show that gently weaves together humour, grief and the search for meaning.

Telling parallel stories of dating, looking for answers in the night sky, and navigating her mother’s battle with cancer, Pullinger invites the audience into moments that feel deeply personal yet widely relatable. Pullinger shares her innermost thoughts with the audience as if speaking to an old friend, creating an intimacy that is both disarming and emotionally demanding.

The writing skilfully balances light and shade. Anecdotes about well-meaning friends delivering endless lasagnes and too much Tupperware containers sit alongside raw reflections on loss, allowing the audience to move fluidly between laughter and quiet recognition. At several points, the room collectively nods in agreement, before emotion catches and tears are shed without embarrassment. It is a shared experience, handled with care and honesty.

Pullinger’s restrained approach to staging works strongly in the show’s favour. Minimal props — including a single chair used imaginatively as a wheelchair, bar stool and more — keep the focus firmly on the storytelling. Costume, lighting and staging are simple and effective, supporting rather than distracting from the narrative. While some musical moments feel slightly heavy-handed, the transition music and lighting are otherwise well coordinated, maintaining a steady pace and clear structure throughout the hour.

Pullinger is completely at ease on stage, sustaining tension and engagement from the outset. Her delivery is polished and professional yet never loses its sense of vulnerability. The Mill proves to be an ideal venue for this kind of intimate storytelling, from the welcoming front-of-house experience to the close audience-performer connection the space allows.

Meteors is impactful, South Australian independent theatre that rewards audiences willing to sit with both humour and grief. It is earnest, thoughtful and quietly powerful.

4 stars

Meteors
Thu, 19 Feb – Sat, 07 Mar
60 min
The Breakout at The Mill
PG (2 Warnings)
$18 to $28

Tickets: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/meteors-af2026

By Mel Watt