“One of the best new musicals of recent years […] top class theatre”
Embarking on its first tour of the UK, “Operation Mincemeat” brings to life a WWII MI5 operation – as a musical! Telling the story of a secret plot to misdirect Hitler, this musical thrives on its wit and comedic charm, whilst also educating us on the true story of an incredibly ambitious plan that seems destined to fail. The cast of 5 bring to life a whole multitude of characters, effortlessly slipping between different ages and genders with minimal alterations to costume, whilst each song is a hit, borrowing from lots of different styles of musical theatre in a show that continues to impress. Anyone concerned that this touring cast may not live up to the West End originals need not worry – the talent on display is immense, making this show an absolute riot from start to finish.
We begin in the midst of the second world war, with the British trying to take Sicily from Hitler. The boffins at MI5 cook up a scheme of feeding misinformation to the Germans, by planting some fake documents on a dead body that will lead Hitler to believe the British are attacking Sardinia instead, thus leaving Sicily undefended. The plan is that the dead body will wash up on a beach in Spain after supposedly crashing his plane. With the plan signed off, the gang set to work, led by ex-public schoolboy Ewen Montagu (Holly Sumpton), who insists he was “Born to Lead”. Montagu is certainly full of himself and quick to brag about his achievements – the stereotypical civil servant of the 40s. He casually dismisses the female members of MI5 as tea ladies and rarely gives them opportunity to put forward ideas. Having Montagu played by a female actor helps to satirise his sexism – since its conception, Operation Mincemeat has always enjoyed the same gender split amongst its cast, and one cannot help but feel that the show would feel very different should this change.
Assisting Montagu is scientist and bug-enthusiast Charles Cholmondeley (Sean Carey), whose excellent facial expressions and squeaky voice make him an instant fan favourite. The operation is actually Cholmondeley’s idea, but he lacks courage and often trips over his words when trying to explain his thoughts, especially in the number “The Pitch”, where Montagu encourages Charles to present his plan to big boss Johnny Bevan (Jamie-Rose Monk). Cholmondeley does get an opportunity to put Montagu in his place in the second act, in what proves to be a proper punch-the-air moment. Even though the true victory is the British winning the war, it is the characters’ personal achievements that often shine the brightest.
The show echoes lots of other musicals in the style of its songs – “All the Ladies” seems like a number straight out of “SIX”, “The Ballad of Willie Watkins” is more traditional Broadway (think “42nd Street”), whilst Monk’s rapping has echoes of “Hamilton”. The rapping is incredibly fast but thanks to Monk’s excellent diction, we don’t miss a single word – although you might have to concentrate to keep up with her! The second act opens with a rave in the form of “Das Übermensch”, which brings to the fore the Nazi threat whilst also quietly mocking them. Meanwhile, “Just for tonight” is an incredible mix of styles as the story flips between the MI5 agents on a night on the town and the Navy setting sail for Spain, the actors switching effortlessly between characters by just putting on a beanie hat. It is so smoothly done, the transitions are hardly noticeable – this is top class theatre.
The standout moment, as it has always been, is “Dear Bill”, performed excellently by Christian Andrews as Hester Leggatt. Andrews seems to have been born to play a middle-aged woman, his mannerisms and clipped accent making his rendition utterly believable, and this song sticks out as an emotional ballad amidst the rest of the tomfoolery. Andrews finds plenty of humour in the opening verses as Hester writes a love letter for their fictional pilot, but upon accidentally naming the pilot “Tom”, it becomes clear that there is a personal element to this for her. Until now, Hester has been a closed book, focused on her work and on admonishing her employees. From here on, we get to understand more about Hester’s character, as Andrews slowly peels away the emotional layers.
This is expanded upon through Hester’s relationship with Jean (Charlotte Hanna-Williams), which is explored in the song “Useful”, as both Hester and Jean imagine how they will be remembered for their part in the operation, if they are remembered at all. It is a quieter, more introspective number amidst an array of more lively pieces, but it is one that carries a hefty emotional impact whilst also having some funny lines thrown in as well. It is one of the joys of this musical – the perfect balance of comedy and emotion is second-to-none, even if the comedy takes a bit of getting used to (you may find yourself a bit bewildered by the wackiness for the first few songs).
This is a replica of the West End version, so Ben Stones’ set design remains the same, mainly desks and blackboards bringing to life Churchill’s war rooms, but some more extravagant set pieces used for submarines and London bars, before the show blows its budget on the “Glitzy Finale”. Jenny Arnold’s choreography is exhausting and continually inventive, seeing characters appear from all over the place, and perfectly combined with Mark Henderson’s lighting design to allow for quick transitions between different settings without the need for a full set change.
This is surely one of the best new musicals of recent years, a superb blend of British comedy and contemporary musical talent. This show is sure to have you wiping tears of laughter from your eyes one minute, before wiping genuine tears from your eyes as the true story of Operation Mincemeat’s fake corpse is revealed in a final scene that sees the actors drop their caricatures and address the audience as themselves. It is all beautifully and incredibly tastefully done. This is a show you simply have to see, and to quote Johnny Bevan, “You have your orders. Now go.”
Tom Morley, July 2026
Review Round-up:
Elemental Theatre: Operation Mincemeat – A 5* review from Elemental Theatre, that features some very interesting insights into the song “Das Übermensch”, saying that the song “refreshes the audience, sharpens the production’s satirical edge and restarts the momentum of the story”
JackStage: Operation Mincemeat – 4* from Jack Davey, who says that one of “Operation Mincemeat’s best feats is its subversion of gender, […] particularly Holly Sumpton’s Montagu, played with gusto and self-assurance”
The Stage: Operation Mincemeat – The Stage’s Matt Barton gives the show 3*, referring to it as an “irreverent romp” (seemingly at odds with the 5* review that The Stage gave the West End version of the show a few years earlier)
Broken Legs Blog 