Be quick, run like a crocodile is on your tail as Crocodile Fever closes at the Lyric Theatre Belfast tonight! I’m crossing my fingers that there is a remount as this award winning piece of theatre has to be seen and needs to be discussed. Hopefully it will provide inspiration for future theatre makers and performers as I would love to see so much more of this.

Winner of the best theatre production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year, Crocodile Fever is a production which is refreshing, unique but as I said in my initial reaction it is also bonkers, bizarre but utterly brilliant!!

I’m sorry to say because of holidays I was slow to pick up on this phenomenal piece of theatre but I’m so glad I didn’t miss it. A dark comedy with blood, sweat and tears. It is absurd but it’s also realistic with themes of abuse, violence, guilt and ultimately sisterhood. This doesn’t sound like a production that would then be filled with laugh out loud moments but you would be wrong, with a retro soundtrack, an obsession with Tayto crisps and some fantastic physical theatre with added play on words you can’t help but laugh. Meghan Tyler is a genius!

Cast as Fianna and Alannah Devlin, Lucianne McAvoy and Lisa Dwyer have a fantastic natural chemistry, they potray the love/hate relationship of two sisters with ease but they are also raw with emotion, as an audience member you can’t help but feel for each of the sisters as you unravel their back stories.

I also should give kudos to Sean Kearns who moves from the ominous controlling voice from above to the victim to something with so much more bite! And talking about that crocodile in the room the practical pink set which hides so many fantastic theatrical tricks and plot turns is simply perfect!

Well done to all the cast and crew an inspiring, unforgetable production.

Emer D xx