Joe is an Offie-nominated writer. His work includes the plays Tiger and Crocodile
‘‘Joe Eyre seems to have abundant powers of imagination, and a relish for astonishing storytelling’’ BritishTheatre.com
Omnibus Theatre
7 November - 3 December 2023
Alice is grieving and she’s lost her way.
Oli is a doctor and he can’t make her better.
Struggling to make rent, they advertise for a flatmate and a mysterious stranger called Tiger arrives: they’re the strangest person you could meet, but to Alice, Tiger makes perfect sense.
Blurring the lines between comedy and tragedy, real and imaginary, this moving new play explores the mysteries of grief: how he befriend it, get lost in it, and find a way to live with it.
Cast and Creative Team
Alice - Poppy Allen-Quarmby
Oli - Luke Nunn
Tiger - Meg Lewis
Writer - Joe Eyre
Director - Myles O’Gorman
Producer - Jessie Anand
Designer - Hazel Low
Lighting Designer - Cheng Keng
Sound Designer - Jamie Lu
Stage Manager - Emily Darley
Production and Rehearsal Photography - Harry Elletson
Reviews and Awards
Offie Awards, 2024
Finalist - Best New Play - Joe Eyre
Nominated - Best Supporting Performance - Meg Lewis
“Writer Joe Eyre has created something clever and extraordinary. The narrative is not linear or didactic, I spent much of the time questioning what was real or imaginary, as the audience are encouraged to make their own journey through the tangled mess of emotion and memory that follow grief.
Simultaneously singular and universal, Tiger explores the human condition and the cathartic release that comes from kindess.’’
— Everything Theatre
“Tiger is a bittersweet story about grief and feeling utterly lost and heart-broken, told in a beautifully unique way.”
— The Artiscape
“A wonderful mix of surreal comedy and heartfelt tragedy. There are no easy answers in Eyre’s script, and none of the characters are sure of their paths - grief is messy. Director Myles O’Gorman handles the comedy and tragedy with a lightness that adds to the magical atmosphere.”
— Fairy Powered Productions
“O’Gorman’s production handles the magical realism of the story impressively. Eyre’s moving new play is a touching portrayal of the long road to recovery from grief.’’
— The Stage
“a detailed exploration of grief, it touches each person in the audience in a unique way. It’s pretty amazing how a play about such a sad topic can have such a universal impact. It’s a nerdy, emotional journey that leaves you both warmed and aching inside’’
— West End Evenings
Having a child changes people.
Especially when your daughter’s a crocodile.
As Alan and Jane adapt to life with their new daughter Sarah, this one-act play combines dark humour with an increasingly nightmarish sense of menace. Crocodile explores the darker side of parenthood, and the lengths we go to in order to keep the ones we love safe.
Crocodile was first performed at VAULT Festival in 2017, where it received a Highly Commended Award. It was then staged for 2 sold-out performances as part of the London Horror Festival at the Old Red Lion Theatre.
Cast and Creative Team
Alan - Joe Eyre
Jane - Rhiannon Sommers
Writer - Joe Eyre
Director - Matt Maltby
Music and Sound Designer - Oðinn Orn Hilmarsson
Designer - Clancy Flynn
Lighting Designer (Old Red Lion) - Matthew Carnazza
Rehearsal and performance photographs by Lars Thornhill, Matthew Carnazza, and Ben Wainwright
Reviews
“Crocodile keeps its focus firmly on family issues and the dark side of parenthood, and leaves a surprising amount of impact for its ridiculous premise, which serves as a wonderful extended image that suggests a primal, dark truth about the negative change a child brings to a family. With strong performances and a deeply affecting script that left me apprehensive and afraid of parenthood, this cautionary tale is almost certainly a highlight of the Festival, and one you should catch.”
— BakChorMeeBoy
“Joe Eyre was mesmerising to watch, keeping the audience hanging on every word. It works chillingly well.’’