This show belongs to the Adelaide Fringe 2026 season. This season is now over.

Ben Volchok sits bare-chested in a small pool of water holding up an icy pole in his left hand. He has an ambiguous expression.
Ben Volchok sits in a small pool with his elbows relaxed on the edges of the pool. He looks wistfully off camera.
Ben Volchok sits in a red velvet armchair at the edge of a pool. He is wearing a towel over the lower half of his body, and his legs are crossed. Behind him are many plants and a glass window.
Adelaide Fringe 2026

One Must Imagine the Boiling Frog Happy

Where do you see yourself in five years' time? I hate that question, but it's a good question.

A theatrical monologue about feeling stuck, performed entirely in a hot tub.

An exploration of the third-life crisis told through personal recollections, philosophical flights of fancy, and original fables. An ode to everyone who thinks they're still right where they began, and a love letter to those of us who let their fears and dreams of the future get in the way of their present.

We tell stories to children to make sense of the world for them, but first we need to make sense of the world for ourselves. So it's time to make up some new myths to carry us into a new horizon.

But for now, I'm just warming up.

A new work from the award-winning creator of The Ceremony and The Final Hours Hour.

Presented by: Ben Volchok

Ben Volchok is an award-winning writer and performer from Melbourne, Australia, creating multidisciplinary work across stage, audio, print, design and screen. With over a decade of solo show experience, he has presented work locally, interstate and internationally. He has recently successfully toured Edinburgh Fringe with his experimental immersive theatre comedy show, The Ceremony. His past two shows have both won awards at the Adelaide Fringe.
Theatre and Physical Theatre • New Writing
Victoria • World Premiere
Reviews
  •   3
  •   11
  •   4
  •   7

Suitability & warnings

Content rating: M
Target audience: High School (15-17)

Accessibility

 
High audio content

Presenter

Presented by: Ben Volchok

Ben Volchok is an award-winning writer and performer from Melbourne, Australia, creating multidisciplinary work across stage, audio, print, design and screen. With over a decade of solo show experience, he has presented work locally, interstate and internationally. He has recently successfully toured Edinburgh Fringe with his experimental immersive theatre comedy show, The Ceremony. His past two shows have both won awards at the Adelaide Fringe.