Man of integrity discovers that the water supply to the town is infected, and expects the community to react rationally to this news, instead the mayor says it will damage tourism and industry and silences the awkward fellow. Now, the play ends with the vilification of the whistle-blower by the community, whereas in Jaws and the Crazies of course we then go on to see the destructive effects of the thing in the water.
The story was therefore very familiar and you knew exactly what was going to happen in each scene. So the first half was too slow, too laborious. The second half they crammed a lot of actors on stage, to create a noisy town meeting, and everyone was talking at once and brawling and so on, and it was much more exciting.
Incidentally I cornered a front of house manager and asked him if the John Simm Hamlet was going ahead. He said they were definitely going to do Hamlet, but they hadn't managed to persuade JS to sign a contract yet. I hope he will, it would be so awesome. But I will go and see the production whoever is in it.
