Spoiler warning – stop reading now if you don’t want to know plot: it comes to a head when the power in the market town surges back on and in a brilliantly realised moment, all the villagers one by one collapse, falling to the ground unconscious.
Keeley returning from her date in London finds Midwich blocked off and instructed by the police to head to Warham village hall and wait. Of course she ignores this, walks through the creepy wood only to find the town overrun by people in hazmat suits. And as she runs towards home, she too passes out.
The show works hard to convey the scale of the crisis, making the most of its big moments thanks to Alice Troughton’s skilful direction. Although there is a helicopter scene which seems to have a budget more limited than Max Beesley’s acting range.
The Midwich Cuckoos does draw you in with increasing moments of creepiness and even manages some unexpected surprises like a shock death you won’t have seen coming.
If the idea of Midsomer Murders meets Children of the Corn is up your tree-lined suburban avenue, then the brilliantly-creepy The Midwich Cuckoos is definitely for you. Even fans of the Wyndham novel should be pleasantly surprised.