CROCODILE FEVER
Arcola Theatre
★★★
“The central performances belong to Tyler and Rooney. They are on fire.”
Crocodile Fever is a chaotic drama set in chaotic times about chaotic family relationships. Meghan Tyler’s play, first shown at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, is enjoying its London premiere. It is set in a family household in Northern Ireland in 1989 – that is, in the midst of the ‘Troubles’, a euphemism for the violent conflict of the times.
Younger audience members (and even some not-so-young) might benefit from knowing something of the background and history of those times because there are references – for example the sinister memory of the ‘knock on the door’ in the night – that are easily missed yet will enrich understanding of the play.
What makes Tyler’s setting relevant are the underlying themes of oppression, abuse, dysfunctional sisterhood and casual horror. These are ably exploited by Arcola’s co-founder and artistic director Mehmet Ergan and his production team, and cannot help but recall other situations where these elements of war continue to be present. Altogether, however, it is hard to place the play neatly into a genre. Is it a metaphorical family drama, a black comedy or a grotesque absurdist play? Crocodile Fever defies categorisation, by intention.
The action opens in a pristine kitchen (set designer Merve Yörük deserves a mention) where pious sister Alannah (Rachel Rooney) is obsessively cleaning. She has tight control over her environment and wants to keep it that way, although we have early indications of a disturbed mind. Into this order, bursts Fianna (Meghan Tyler), out of a long term in prison and at the opposite end of the personality scale (apparently) to her sibling but wanting to renew their connection. She believes that their father died in a confrontation with the ‘paras’ (paratroopers) so is shocked to find out that he is, in fact, living: upstairs in the family home. Fianna is his long-suffering carer.
At this point any realism in the play starts to disintegrate, slowly but believably at first, and chaos takes over as the interaction between the sisters twists and turns helped by old songs, alcohol, quick fire dialogue and snatches of history that are hard to keep track of. We are on a track to horrible happenings. The father (brilliantly played by Stephen Kennedy) is the reptile in the attic and must be dealt with. His appearance towards the end of the first act is a shock. And from there on, there is a rapid descent of the action into gore and strange symbolism.
The central performances belong to Tyler and Rooney. They are on fire. Rooney, in particular, shows an extraordinary range of comic expression (a touch of the Mrs Doyle?) and, despite the absurdism, is then convincing in her portrayal of release and disintegration. She doesn’t let the flamboyant acting of Tyler as Fianna hog the limelight, as could so easily happen.
Yet, somehow I felt there should be a magnetism exhibited in the sister relationship (whether repelling or attracting) that somehow failed to materialise. It may be that the play, in dealing with so much, lacks a central focus and resolution. This could leave one feeling dissatisfied at the end; nevertheless, the overall impression is of a drama that is tackling big subjects in an innovative way so, if it loses its way a little, well isn’t that what happens in times of terrible conflict?
CROCODILE FEVER
Arcola Theatre
Reviewed on 23rd October 2025
by Louise Sibley
Photography by Ikin Yum
Previously reviewed at this venue:
THE POLTERGEIST | ★★★★★ | September 2025
RODNEY BLACK: WHO CARES? IT’S WORKING | ★★ | September 2025
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY: THE MUSICAL | ★★★★ | August 2025
JANE EYRE | ★★★★★ | August 2025
CLIVE | ★★★ | August 2025
THE RECKONING | ★★★★ | June 2025
IN OTHER WORDS | ★★★★ | May 2025
HEISENBERG | ★★★ | April 2025
