The set was a work of art - one wing of a plane jutted towards the audience, the fuselage cut away and used for all manner of interior locations. Characters burst in through the door, out through the window, over the wing, jumping about and dancing jives. It's a very physical show. Most actors also swapped characters, exchanging hats and accents sometimes mid-sentence. That made it all the more impressive they made us care when another one of the guys didn't make it back from the mission. Poor Clevinger, we think. He was only there a minute ago... To get that reaction when "Clevinger" is on stage being someone else? That's skill.
Heller was in fact a bombardier who flew 60 missions in WWII and he recorded plenty to shudder at. The cheery slapstick mood might prevail but the cast didn't pull the dark punches. The sinister disregard of "good old" Arfy and his awful deeds, the literally visceral root of Yossarian's horror, and the ludicrous brutality of beauracracy are shocking and haven't dated. Within seconds all flips over from mirth to death. A large proportion of opening night audience was schoolkids including several rows of 13-year old boys from a nice traditional school - the sort that probably sends sons to Sandhurst. I couldn't help wondering if there might be a gap in its military alumni from this yeargroup.Having said that, the director Rachel Chavkin writes "the war looks like so much fun... if only everyone would stop dying" and in some ways it's an appealing world to be in. In fact I was reminded at times of Hunger Games, though perhaps a sort of Laurel and Hardy remake. If the production lacks anything it's the internal life of Yossarian, and without that it seems a little more cartoonish, a little more screwball comedy, a little more fun than perhaps it ought.
If the fault lies anywhere it must be in the adaptation. Heller has brilliantly represented his novel - it's like the characters have walked right of the page. But a bizarre and chaotic story surely calls for a bizarre and chaotic reinvention, and the author isn't necessarily the best person to take his life's work and turn it inside out. What was I hoping for? Catch-22 on Ice? Catch-22 the aerial circus show with real lions? Catch-22 the immersive theatre in a deserted warehouse with all the scenes playing simultaneously? Catch-33?I suspect there isn't a magic bullet - and if there was I'm sure some theatrical catch-22 would make it unworkable. What is eminently workable, and here now, is this great performance. I advise you to Catch it while you can. You'd be crazy not to.