Crocodile Fever

Crocodile Fever is both a charming and confronting play that presents various challenges in terms of staging and the sensitivity of the content. Set in their farmhouse in Camlough, Northern Ireland in 1989 the play is a psychological study of the Devlin sisters, Alannah (Maeve Hook) and Fianna (Juliet Hindmarsh). The women are victims of family violence, and their abusive father, Peter 'Da' Devlin (Aram Geleris), is at the centre of the demons that plague their life and their respective psyches. Moreover, there is the backdrop of the NI troubles which adds another ominous layer in this complex dark tale. It is hard to imagine how comedy can be successfully imbued into this story. However, Tyler successfully achieves this by paying homage to a range of splatter horror genre texts and transporting this aesthetic to the stage. 

Alannah has dealt with her oppression and abuse by becoming pious and obsessive while Fianna runs amuck in society and deliberately sets out to sabotage the psychological stability of anyone in her path. The dialogue is exceptional in capturing the level of family dysfunction that can lead to such unabated violence. The actors are also exceptional at bringing this family dynamic to life with strong vibrant performances that require a great deal of energy and commitment. The love/hate relationship between the sisters is exquisitely played out over their various domestic domains and the horrific and fearful relationship with their father is made incredibly palpable.

The demons invoked by their father take the form of a mythical crocodile that is artfully recreated through the use of puppetry, accompanied by thunderous and echoing voice overs. The effect is extremely striking which sees the play transform from drama to black comedy to magical realism. Although the set exploits the venue well and recreates the farmhouse with intricate detail, the scale of the action seems much larger than the venue can accommodate. The staging of the various entrances and exits of both real and imaginary characters would have greater impact in a more spacious setting.

The idea of two women brandishing deadly weapons such as guns, knives and chainsaws as a way of dealing with the varying and unrelenting levels of violence present in their lives is not uncommon for the screen. Tyler’s text and this production offer very interesting and arresting ways of successfully bringing such powerful and disturbing imagery to the stage.

Patricia Di Risio