Operation Mincemeat (musical)
Operation Mincemeat is a musical comedy with book, music and lyrics by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts (known as the musical comedy troupe SpitLip).[1] The plot is based on the Operation Mincemeat, a Second World War British deception operation. The show received six Laurence Olivier Award nominations, winning two, which include Best New Musical and Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Jak Malone.
Operation Mincemeat
- David Cumming
- Felix Hagan
- Natasha Hodgson
- Zoë Roberts
- David Cumming
- Felix Hagan
- Natasha Hodgson
- Zoë Roberts
- David Cumming
- Felix Hagan
- Natasha Hodgson
- Zoë Roberts
1943, World War Two
- 2019 New Diorama Theatre
- 2020 & 2021 Southwark Playhouse
- 2022 Riverside Studios
- 2023 West End
Background[edit]
The basis of the musical is Operation Mincemeat, the 1943 British deception operation to disguise the Allied invasion of Sicily, during the Second World War.[2]
Production history[edit]
Off-West End (2019–2022)[edit]
An early version of the show was first performed in 2019. Since then it has been staged in London at the New Diorama Theatre (2019) and Southwark Playhouse (2020, 2021, 2022)[3] and Riverside Studios (2022).[4]
West End (2023)[edit]
The musical began previews on 29 March 2023 at the Fortune Theatre in the West End.[5] Originally scheduled to close after 9 July 2023, the production has been extended multiple times after receiving rave reviews from audiences and critics, and is now an open-ended run.[6]
On 4 April 2024, it was announced that Operation Mincemeat would be available for licensed amateur productions through Concord Theatricals.[7]
Critical reception[edit]
Among generally favourable reviews, David Benedict of Variety compared the show favourably to the Broadway musical Hamilton.[10][14][15][16][17] It was listed in the Observer's Top 10 shows of the year when it opened at the New Diorama Theatre in 2019.[18] The transfer to the Fortune Theatre London received 64 five star reviews, making it the best reviewed show in West End history.
Benedict, in his review of the Southwark Playhouse production, wrote, "this is the musical you didn’t know you needed – until you see the expert cast of five embracing and racing through a clutch of preposterous yet endearing characters and musical styles, telling a story with delicious precision".[10] Reviewing the Riverside Studios production in Gay Times, Chris Selman wrote, "the songs are brilliant, the script is smart, the jokes are hilarious; more than that, though, this ingenious production manages to create an entire world and substantial cast on a shoestring budget with a tiny ensemble".[19]
Historical research[edit]
A group of fans of the musical, known as Mincefluencers, were inspired to research into the real life of the character Hester Leggett, as little was known about her. They discovered that her surname was spelled Leggatt, and that she worked for Osbert Sitwell in the 1930s, for MI5 during the Second World War and later for the British Council.[22][23][24] On 11 December 2023, a plaque was installed at the Fortune Theatre in commemoration of Hester Leggatt and her service to her country.[25][26]