Melissa Pullinger made her mum’s loss the core of her personality. It used to be among the first five facts about herself that she would mention to new friends. It would sit in the air, side by side with her curly hair and eye colour. Losing a parent as a young person alters the very being of you, defining who you are and who you become. Now, waiting for a meteor shower in a small town just outside of New York, there’s a moment when she suddenly realises the vastness of the universe.
Directed by Connor Reidy, Pullinger delivers her monologue at an almost romantic pace, aware that it’s sad, so being careful. She may slip into upspeak at times, but generally maintains a sorrowful, measured tone with a sentimental lilt to it. It’s a sweet, heartbreaking memorial. Meteors will stay with you regardless of your parents’ state of being. Pullinger’s writing is delicate and poetic, focusing on the smallest details to bring forward the essence of her emotions.
It is beautifully written, full of evocative allegories and distinctive descriptions of what it feels like to lose someone you adore. From the absolute helplessness of the immediate aftermath to the way people react when they learn about it (their lips go thin, she says, their face goes up and then down in pity, and you end up consoling them—she truly has a knack for verbalising the human experience).
These small chapters of her life chase one another “like an awkward mosaic.” They are self-contained moments: the day she went to get a piercing when her mum had just started her treatment, or a noisy date in a hot beer garden. All along, as she waits for 2am for the sky to light up with falling debris, she reframes her own narrative. In the depths of grief, we are urged to look at the bigger picture. You should bring tissues because it’s not an easy show.
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