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Crocodile Tears

 
Ewan Woods Review by Ewan Woods 4 Published: 13 Aug 2025 theSpace @ Venue 45 Show Dates: 8 Aug 2025-17 Aug 2025

Modern reality TV contests are well-trodden ground for the public. Shows like I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here have been on air for 23 years, so their conventions are well known and have been thoroughly parodied before. It’s why Shark Bait Theatre’s Crocodile Tears is such a fun time. While it is certainly not the first show to spoof programmes like I’m a Celebrity, Jess Ferrier has written a tightly polished, hilarious piece that feels refreshing and enjoyable despite its familiar inspiration.

Tightly written, brilliantly absurd

Crocodile Tears follows the final few episodes of a survival-themed reality TV show, just before the prize money is about to be awarded, when a sudden, undiscovered illness infects one of the contestants, leaving the final five and host Casia Whittaker (Abi Price) stuck on the island awaiting rescue. The show cleverly uses the formats and conventions of reality TV to its advantage. Frequent asides to “camera” develop character, while familiar tropes like phone votes and Geordie narrators set the scene and add to the show’s strong sense of wit.

Each contestant is a delight to watch, from rules stickler Rueben (Rory Drinnan-Murray), to religious fanatic and abstinence influencer Daisy (Robyn Reily), to conspiracy theorist Faye (Darcy De Winter). Though they might initially seem like one-note tropes, each character is fully developed, and their outlandish traits are used to maximum comic effect. Adding to this, the flamboyant and under-prepared Casia’s scenes feel chaotic, raising tension without sacrificing humour.

Crocodile Tears is great fun from start to finish. Its writing and direction ensure there is always a laugh to be found. The characters, which could have felt like stereotypes on paper, are fully realised. The show makes bombastic scenarios work without ever feeling absurd or implausible, making the audience truly feel like they are watching the contestants in the jungle and laughing along with every outrageous premise the producers have thrown their way.

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The Blurb:

When viewership tanks for the latest season of a survival TV game show, the producers realise they must go to extreme lengths to make sure the show doesn’t get cancelled – no matter the cost. After all, the contestants signed a contract, they can’t back out now… Follow the final five contestants, guided by the show’s eerily vivacious host, as they slowly realise that this reality show just got a whole lot more "real" than they bargained for. Crocodile Tears is a new satirical comedy play about surveillance, authenticity and the ethics of reality TV.