Theatrical jerk behind crisis (8)
I believe the answer is:
dramatic
'theatrical' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'jerk behind crisis' is the wordplay.
'jerk' becomes 'tic' (jerking movement by the body).
'behind' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'crisis' becomes 'drama' (drama can mean a dramatic situation).
'tic' after 'drama' is 'DRAMATIC'.
(Other definitions for dramatic that I've seen before include "Substantial" , "Sensational, theatrical" , "Sudden and striking" , "spectacular" , "Like theatre" .)