What a catch
EVEN if you haven’t read Joseph Heller’s 1961 book, or seen the 1970 film starring Art Garfunkel, the strapline of this play: “He was going to live forever or die in the attempt” is as alluring and intriguing as any you are ever likely to see.
A satirical piece against bureaucratic thinking, it is set on the island of Pianosa in the Mediterranean, west of Italy, during the closing months of the Second World War, when the war- weary airmen from the US Army Air Forces just wanted to return home. John Yossarian ( Philip Arditti) of the 256th Squadron and his comrades attempt to fulfil their service duties so they can get home but the number of missions they must complete before they do so keeps getting extended. This has an effect on their sanity.
The problem is that if the airmen claim they are crazy and tell the authorities then the bureaucrats assume they are sane enough to know they are crazy and, consequently, would have to fly more missions: the “Catch 22”.
There were other Catch 22s concerning religion and morality along the way in this three- hour marathon ( plus a 20- minute break).
It’s a long haul and, while it could really have done with at least an hour knocked off, especially as the second half isn’t as good as the first, Rachel Chavkin’s direction keeps it racing along.
Yossarian’s final Catch 22 is that he would be sent home if he came out in support of the bureaucracy. Failure to do so would lead to court martial. It’s an interesting dilemma and finale.
The cast was a solid ensemble but it was Michael Hodgson in his multiple roles that really caught the eye.
A Northern Stage production, the piece was written for the stage by Joseph Heller.