Operation Mincemeat (musical)

Operation Mincemeat is a musical comedy with book, music and lyrics by comedy theatre troupe SpitLip (consisting of David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts).[1] The plot is based on the Operation Mincemeat, a Second World War British deception operation.

This article is about the stage musical based on the WW2 deception operation. For the operation itself, see Operation Mincemeat.
Operation Mincemeat
A New Musical
London production poster
MusicSpitlip
LyricsSpitlip
BookSpitlip
BasisOperation Mincemeat
Premiere2019

Production history

An early version of the show was first performed in 2019. Since then it has been staged in several London theatres: New Diorama Theatre (2019), Southwark Playhouse (2020, 2021, 2022)[2] and Riverside Studios (2022).[3]

The musical will transfer to London's West End for a limited run at the Fortune Theatre beginning previews on 29 March 2023 (with press nights on 9 and 10 May) until 8 July 2023.[4]

Musical numbers

Act 1
  • Born to Lead
  • God That's Brilliant
  • Dead in the Water
  • All the Ladies
  • The Pitch
  • Making a Man
  • Dear Bill
  • Sail On, Boys
  • Just for Tonight

Act 2
  • Das Übermensch
  • Bevan's Update
  • The Ballad of Willie Watkins
  • Spilsbury Reprise
  • Useful
  • Act as If
  • Did We Do It?
  • A Glitzy Finale

Characters and cast

Over a dozen characters are played by the 5 members of cast, often gender-swapped.

Main character Original cast (2017-22) West End (2023)
Charles Cholmondeley David Cumming
Jean Leslie Claire-Marie Hall
Ewen Montagu Natasha Hodgson
Hester Leggett Jak Malone
Johnny Bevan Zoë Roberts
Understudy Anouk Chalmers Geri Allen
Christian Andrews
Seán Carey
Holly Sumpton

Critical reception

The show has received critical acclaim and has been compared to the Broadway musical Hamilton.[5][6][7][8][9] It was nominated for several awards and listed in the Observer's Top 10 shows of the year.[10]

David Benedict, in his review of the Southwark Playhouse production of the show for Variety, 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".[5]

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".[11]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominee Result
2022 West End Wilma Awards Best Off-West End Show Operation Mincemeat Nominated
Rising star Jak Malone Nominated
Best Performer In An Off-West End Show Jak Malone Nominated
2019 Stage Debut Awards Best Composer/Lyricist David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts Won
The Offies Best New Musical Operation Mincemeat Nominated
Best Company Ensemble Operation Mincemeat Nominated
Best Set Design Helen Coyston Nominated
Best Musical Director Felix Hagan Nominated
Best Sound Design Dan Balfour Nominated

References
  1. "Operation Mincemeat | Whats On". New Diorama. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  2. "Southwark Playhouse - Operation Mincemeat".
  3. "Operation Mincemeat". Riverside Studios. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  4. Kanengoni, Jonathan (2022-11-18). "Operation Mincemeat: the fringe hit musical lands in the West End". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  5. Benedict, David (2021-09-01). "'Operation Mincemeat' Review: Hilarious Small-Scale Musical Could Become a Big Hit". Variety. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  6. Omaweng, Chris (2022-06-14). "Operation Mincemeat at Riverside Studios". LondonTheatre1. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  7. "Glittering World War II musical Operation Mincemeat is funnier than Hamilton – review". The Independent. 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  8. Curtis, Nick (2022-01-19). "Operation Mincemeat review: a larky fringe hit with surprising depths". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  9. Williams, Holly. "Operation Mincemeat: glorious spoof musical about an eccentric real-life WWII operation". Time Out London. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  10. Cristi, A. A. "OPERATION MINCEMEAT, A NEW MUSICAL Extends Riverside Studios Run Until 23 July 2022". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  11. Selman, Chris (2022-06-14). "Hilarious musical Operation Mincemeat is one of the best shows in town - review". GAY TIMES. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
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