"Giving an egg an existential voice came straight from lived experience," Crago laughs. "I’m an incredibly existential thinker, and agnostic and optimistic. When creating this, we wanted the audience to have a good time, but also to ponder about the world, in a comedic way. I really loved being able to bring in comedy while making people think big!”
Palmerson nods. “I’ve struggled to let go of the whole chicken-or-egg issue. The only logical answer is that eggs - like snails and a great many other things - are more mystically powerful than we give them credit for. And I’ve never been religious, so this isn’t spiritual advice!”
Their previous show, The Frog, also played with the absurd, but this one explores something different while remaining in the same universe. “The Frog was more about the absurdity of capitalism in a child-like way,” Crago says. “Those surprising friendships you form when you rest from work. But Conversations... is grimmer and dirtier. It’s about family and friendship, being vulnerable with the people closest to you, and those you suddenly meet in strange contexts.”
“Exactly,” Palmerson adds. “The Frog was about a brand new friendship. We explored the way a stranger can soften even the most seasoned emotional bottlers. Conversations... shifts to the other end; a tight-knit family navigating how, if and when, to be truly vulnerable. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that it’s as ridiculously absurd as our last show.”
And with that absurdity, the duo promise to deliver plenty of weird, sad, and funny moments that they anticipate audiences will mull over long after leaving the theatre. “We want people to consider the big philosophical questions of life, but also to recognise that there are universal questions connecting humanity. Where do these questions happen? In the kitchen, in your house, in those unassuming moments?"
“And we want them to leave with a little hope,” Palmerson adds. “Not because we have the answers, but because most monsters - or feelings - are a lot less scary when they look a bit silly. We want them to leave with a hand that feels held, and a belly sore from laughter.”
As they worked through rehearsals and found ways of incorporating the weird, sad, and funny into the show, I wondered which of the three was most challenging to nail. “Definitely sad,” Palmerson tells me. “Sincerity is showing vulnerability. It’s no coincidence we clown around so much, especially in Australian culture. For me, writing it comes easily, but sitting with it on stage, conveying it on my face and body - that’s another thing. It is very personal, but it is also important because without practising vulnerability, we can’t have hard conversations or make contructive change in our communities.”
With absurdism as its guiding principle, Conversations... walks the line between shaping meaning and keeping it open for each audience member to explore. “I’d say this is more surrealist, inviting the audience to look at their world through a bonkers lens: that of a fried egg,” Crago explains. “The egg itself is bizarre and unexpected; its spontaneous combustion, is a metaphor for so many things: time, memory, being open, the fleeting nature of existence. Through this lens, we see how everyday objects can carry deeper implications.”
“One of the exciting outcomes of making work is hearing new interpretations from the audience!” Palmerson concludes. “We’re not afraid to be obvious or literal in our scripts, sometimes even telling people how to feel. And yet, there are constantly people who find their own brilliant interpretations to our stories. We give the audience plenty of meaning, and then it’s theirs to find, change, and create.”
Existential eggs, acerbic rats, and a kitchen full of absurdity set the stage for Conversations with a Fried Egg. Crago and Palmerson invite audiences to tumble into their quirky, funny, and surprisingly tender world, where laughter and reflection share the table.
FRINGE FIVE FAST ONES:
1. A song I could listen to on repeat forever is…
Ivy: Gah! This is hard… anything by The Cure… possibly Push.
Maxine: Days Like These by The Cat Empire. It's an ultimate mood boost and good reminder of what life is all about.
Lucy Wirthensohn (performer) : Cantina Band by John Williams and the London Symphony.
Claudia Harris (producer): Them Changes by Thundercats.
Maddi Formosa (performer): I Want You by Savage Garden! The chorus especially scratches just the right itch in my brain.
2. One object I can’t live without backstage is…
Ivy: I'm still figuring this one out, changes every show, but a good essential oil balm at the moment.
Maxine: my water bottle. Sorry boring, but that dry mouth hits me like a truck.
Lucy: gummy lollies.
Claudia: my computer.
Maddi: some light entertainment. A good book or the puzzle section from a newspaper. I’ve been really into the code crackers lately.
3. My favourite word is...
Ivy: the Welsh word for microwave, popty ping. Two words in Welsh I guess, but it’s always been my fave word. It’s just so fun, rolls off the tongue and the alliteration is great!
Maxine: frolic. No explanation needed.
Lucy: schmetterling. It’s the German word for butterfly. I just like it.
Claudia: stardust. It's pretty, hehe.
Maddi: Am I allowed to swear here?
4. Something unexpected that brings me joy is...
Ivy: running! I’ve just started intermittently running. Used to hate it, but now love it! It’s so mindful.
Maxine: grappling. Training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu really soothes the youngest sibling in me. And there's so much more giggling involved than you would think.
Lucy: getting my hands in some soil.
Claudia: being completely underwater.
Maddi: multi-coloured candles.
5. If I could live one day as someone else, it would be…
Ivy: Willem Dafoe.
Maxine: someone who is not afraid of spiders. I would touch so much stuff and climb a lot of trees somewhere tropical.
Claudia: Saint Olga. She was fucking badass.
Maddi: either one of my cats because I too would like to be small enough to cuddle up in a basket full of blankets and fall asleep for 12-16 hours a day.
Show Details
Venue: Meat Market, 2 Wreckyn St, North Melbourne
Season: 7 - 18 October | Tues - Sat 8:45pm
Duration: 60 minutes
Tickets: Full $25 | Concession $20 | Wednesday Hump Day $18.75
Bookings: Melbourne Fringe Festival
Image Credit: Maxine Palmerson
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