The musical tells the wildly improbable but true story of a secret World War II mission involving a corpse
Operation Mincemeat cast members, from left, Charlotte Hanna-Williams, Jamie-Rose Monk, Seán Carey, Holly Sumpton and Christian Andrews(Image: Matt Crockett)
Described as Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Operation Mincemeat is a fast-paced, hilarious and wildly improbable true story of a twisted but successful secret mission of World War II. Bursting at the seams with the kind of chaos you could not invent, the question of how a dead body, a fake love letter and Ian Fleming came together to wrong-foot Hitler will be answered when the hit musical arrives in Hull next month.
Operation Mincemeat was an elaborate deception mission used to disguise the Allied invasion of Sicily, in 1943. British intelligence disguised a corpse as a Royal Marine officer, planting fake documents on the body to trick the Germans into believing the Allies were targeting Greece.
The operation has inspired multiple adaptations, including the 2021 film and a highly acclaimed, Tony and double Olivier award-winning musical. Earning the title of best reviewed musical in West End history, the show is on a 40-week UK tour, part of a landmark global tour, and it calls in at Hull New Theatre from July 6 to 11.
The production tells the story of how a group of MI5 operatives gambled everything on a corpse in a bid to help win the war, through a mash-up of genres – from musical theatre ballads to sea shanties and rap. Currently in its third year in the West End and first year on Broadway, Operation Mincemeat’s celebrity fans include Robert De Niro, Colin Firth (who starred in the film about the mission), Greg Davies, Dolly Alderton and many more. Last year, the cast had the honour of performing at BBC One’s VE Day 80 Celebration Concert, where attendees included King Charles and Prince William, among a crowd of 14,000.
West End alumnae reprising their acclaimed roles for the tour that of Operation Mincemeat, that will take in four continents, include Christian Andrews (Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas, ITV ’s D-Day 80 at the Royal Albert Hall); Seán Carey (The Play That Goes Wrong, BBC One’s VE Day 80, A Celebration to Remember); Charlotte Hanna-Williams (Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella; Bells are Ringing), and Holly Sumpton (Lovers Actually, BBC One’s VE Day 80, A Celebration to Remember).
They are joined by new recruit Jamie-Rose Monk (Romeo & Juliet, (the) Woman) to form the cast, while Katy Ellis (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Sappho: The Poetess); Georgina Hagen (Only Fools & Horses, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie); Jordan Pearson (Back to the Future: The Musical, One Man, Two Guvnors), and Morgan Phillips (Babies, The History Boys) complete the company.
SpitLip, the musical’s writers and composers, said: “We’re so excited to see Operation Mincemeat heading out on a world tour … we know there’s an appetite (and a need) out there for shows which champion joy, and the power of small groups of people to change the world.” Following the UK leg of the world tour, Operation Mincemeat will make stops including the USA, Australia, Canada, China, Mexico and New Zealand.
What began as a tiny (and tiny-budgeted) production at the London Fringe 77-seat New Diorama Theatre in 2019 quickly gained a devoted following, spurring sold-out runs at venues including Southwark Playhouse and Riverside Studios. It premiered in the West End in May 2023 at the Fortune Theatre, where it won the Olivier and WhatsOnstage Awards for Best New Musical, alongside garnering at least 88 five-star reviews and counting, and has become the “best reviewed show in West End history”.
The decision to write the musical was the last roll of the dice from SpitLip, a quartet of young British creatives after years of performing sketch shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It echoes the journey of Beyond the Fringe from the world-famous quartet Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller, and Dudley Moore, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1960, before moving to the Fortune Theatre and later to the Golden in 1962.
Tickets are on sale now from Hull New Theatre. There are trigger warnings for flashing lights, strobe effects, theatrical haze, siren sound effects, and loud music.