Operation Mincemeat

First conceived as a small-scale musical comedy production, written by members of London theatre troupe SpitLip, ‘Operation Mincemeat’ remains based on a true story, in which a cunning deception, devised by MI5, fooled Hitler into believing that an expected Allied invasion of Italy would be launched from Sardinia rather than Sicily. The body of a deceased homeless man, disguised as a Royal Naval Commander, is transported by the submarine HMS Seraph to a point just off the Mediterranean coast, where it is left to be washed up on a Spanish beach, together with a briefcase containing full and comprehensive details of a fictitious planned attack on Sardinia.

‘Operation Mincemeat’ first opened at Camden's New Diorama Theatre in May 2019, initially for just a one-month run. Seven years later, the show is still running in London, now in the West End, and a parallel production has been playing on Broadway since March 2025. It won the 2024 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, was nominated in four categories at the 2025 Tony Awards and, for the London production, received no less than 113 five-star reviews, making it the best-reviewed show in West End History. No wonder that tickets for the UK touring production sold like hot mince pies when dates for the show’s visit to Norwich Theatre Royal were first announced.

A cast of just five actors take on all supporting roles, as well as playing the five lead characters. For the opening night in Norwich, Holly Sumpton was ambitious Naval Intelligence Officer Ewen Montague; Seán Carey appeared as RAF officer Charles Cholmondeley (whose initial idea for the plan to deceive Hitler eventually became Operation Mincemeat); Jamie-Rose Monk was MI5's Colonel Johnny Bevan (also an aspiring novelist under the alias of Ian Fleming); and Christian Andrews was Bevan's senior secretary Hester Leggett. They were joined for this opening night performance by Molly Cutter, a last-minute replacement stepping in to play the role of ambitious secretary Jean Leslie.

With a four-piece band led by Musical Director Sam Sommerfeld, and with a raft of twenty songs floated over two acts, ‘Operation Mincemeat’ is a gloriously rich voyage of drama, comedy and song. Robert Hastie’s direction remains respectful in allowing the humour to shine through. The clipped accents, the ex-public school hierarchy, the stench of privilege and the old-boy networks are never far below the surface, so it is Carey’s portrayal of humble RAF officer Charlie Cholmondeley and Cutter’s depiction of aspirational secretary Jean Leslie that, together, highlight the personal hope and inspiration from this piece tonight.

A wonderful combination of history, farce and facts means that Operation Mincemeat is truly a musical comedy to savour. The Theatre Royal's spacious setting ensured that the sound design by Mike Walker remains rich, and the lighting design versatile, whilst providing an adaptable space for the cast to negotiate both the more tightly choreographed musical numbers and the close-up dramatic scenes, especially with such a fast-paced show, with so many quick character changes. Indeed, with so many diverse and eccentric characters, Operation Mincemeat began to remind me of television’s The League of Gentlemen, whilst the period setting took me back to the boarding school days of Daisy Pulls It Off.