A Globetrotting Musical Spectacle: Operation Mincemeat
Plan "Mincemeat": Stepping Forward, Globally
Get ready to strap on your dancing shoes and join the worldwide tour of the sensational musical, Operation Mincemeat. This must-see production, originally premiering in London's New Diorama Theatre, has taken the stage by storm, captivating audiences across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, China, Mexico, and New Zealand.
Set during World War II, Operation Mincemeat tells an unbelievable true story that will leave you on the edge of your seat. In 1943, with much of mainland Europe under Nazi control, the Allied forces were determined to seize a strategic advantage in their fight against the Axis powers. The mission to invade Sicily needed to remain a secret from the enemy to guarantee a successful attack with minimal resistance.
The British naval intelligence came up with a bizarre plan involving a corpse named Major William Martin. Dressed in military attire, this unsuspecting body had been given a highly detail falsified identity and backstory. Attached to the body was a handcuffed briefcase containing mission papers revealing plans to invade Sardinia. The body was tossed into the sea off the coast of Spain, ensuring the briefcase with crucial information would eventually wash ashore and fall into the hands of the enemy.
astonishingly, the plan succeeded! The Nazis moved thousands of troops from Sicily to Sardinia, which became a turning point in the war. Intrigued by this remarkable tale, Natasha Hodgson, Zoë Roberts, David Cumming, and Felix Hagan, the innovative minds behind the theater collective SplitLip, knew they had the perfect recipe for a captivating musical. Complete with laugh-out-loud humor, heartwarming moments, and a touch of madness, the team set out to create a show that would leave audiences in awe.
Hodgson, Roberts, and Cumming first collaborated as students at Warwick University, where they created and performed horror comedy shows throughout the United Kingdom, including at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Hagan and Hodgson were previously bandmates. One fateful day, Hodgson's brother suggested she listen to a Stuff You Should Know podcast about Operation Mincemeat. After hearing the story, the group knew they had to bring this extraordinary tale to life.
In 2019, with a cast including Hodgson, Roberts, and Cumming, and a shoestring budget, the production was a resounding success at the 77-seat New Diorama Theatre. This launching pad led to additional theater transfers and a dedicated fanbase known as "Mincefluencers."
In 2023, Operation Mincemeat made its grand entrance on London's West End at the Fortune Theatre, where it has been extended fifteen times and won the prestigious Olivier Award for Best Musical. Stars Claire-Marie Hall and Jak Malone, who has been with the production since its Diorama days, also earned an Olivier Award for their performances, with Malone earning a Tony nomination this season[4].
"Maybe in our wildest dreams, we might have hoped one day that the show would make it onto the West End for a day," said Cumming. "But to reach the West End and cross the pond to the home of musical theater? It's beyond anything we ever imagined possible[5]."
The tenacity and relentless determination of the tiny creative team paved the way for their amazing success. "What's fantastic about theater, particularly fringe theater, is that at no point were there so many gatekeepers that stopped us from doing the first version of the show, which was as cheap as possible," says Hodgson. "We were in it, cast two additional people who are extremely talented, got a box of sweaty hats and went for it[6]."
This February, Operation Mincemeat set foot on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre, with the original West End cast playing over 85 characters. An impressive 300 Mincefluencers flew to New York for the first performance[5]. Directed by Robert Hastie, the musical is nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical[7].
In a heartwarming nod to its humble beginnings, the world tour will commence at the Lowry Theater in Manchester, where the musical was nurtured during its formative years in 2017. At the Lowery's Rewrites showcase for new musicals, SplitLip presented early songs and scenes from the show, including the now-iconic "God That's Brilliant[8]."
"The Lowry Theater in Manchester was the very first theater we ever performed in as a team, and the first theater to ever give us money because they believed in our potential to make work that could really fly," recalls Cummings. "We have been desperate to repay them ever since. So we are absolutely delighted to kick off our world tour where our careers all began[5]," adds Cummings. "And to top it off, it means our moms can watch it, which is pretty nice too[5]."
As the touring production continues to captivate audiences around the world, the legacy of the unknown man whose real name was Glyndwr Michael remains etched in the memories of the creators. They feel honored to safeguard his memory and ensure that his tale is remembered for generations to come.
"We mention his name at every performance in front of hundreds of people, both sides of the Atlantic now," says Roberts. "That in itself is a hugely powerful experience[8]."
- The innovative team behind the theater collective SplitLip, composed of Natasha Hodgson, Zoë Roberts, David Cumming, and Felix Hagan, saw the potential in the Operation Mincemeat operation and transformed it into an entertaining musical.
- The Operation Mincemeat musical, with its blend of humor, heartwarming moments, and a touch of madness, has become a global sensation, winning awards in both London's West End and Broadway, and will commence its world tour at the Lowry Theater in Manchester, where it all began for the team.
