Operation Mincemeat musical reviews

Operation Mincemeat West End reviews roundup

Reviews have dropped for the West End production of Operation Mincemeat in London – what did the critics make of it?

The new musical has transferred to the Fortune Theatre following previous sell-out runs at the New Diorama Theatre in 2019, Southwark Playhouse in 2020, 2021 & 2022 and Riverside Studios in 2022.

Written and composed by SpitLip – David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts – Operation Mincemeat tells the unbelievably true story from World Word II about a well-dressed corpse that wrong-footed Hitler.

The new West End production held its opening night this week but what did the reviews say?

Operation Mincemeat London reviews

WhatsOnstage – ★★★★★
“It’s always a worry coming to something that has been so heavily hyped at a late stage. Well, it more than delivers, and stands a shining example of homegrown talent – among many things it’s just so very, very British.” – Read the full review

The Stage – ★★★★★
“It is that balance of comedy and heart that is this show’s great strength, and with a couple of new songs and a stronger book, it is better than ever. A brilliant spy thriller, a brilliant comedy, and a brilliant musical all rolled into one, it is exhilarating to see it hit the West End.” – Read the full review

TimeOut- ★★★★
“The songs are funny, detailed and entertainingly eclectic – they lean towards the vaudevillian, though there’s a modern, ‘Hamilton’-ish punch to the rhymes. They’re laser-focussed on getting us to laugh: there’s little of the saccharine baggage of the average musical, no romance, no learning life lessons, no big introspective moments.” – Read the full review

The Times – ★★★★
“Sometimes the jokes hit you so quickly that you barely have time to laugh before the next one comes sweeping along. This gloriously inventive musical, based on a celebrated Second World War intelligence operation, is the nearest thing to those hyperactive Tex Avery cartoons that kept cinema audiences entertained during the war years.” – Read the full review

BroadwayWorld – ★★★★★
“Rhythmic pop music, a contemporary musical theatre sound, the odd rap segue, and a tune that would feel at home at Berghain for good measure are the foundation of this life-affirming, riotous history lesson.” – Read the full review

Evening Standard- ★★★★
“Mincemeat the musical has wit, charm, a subversive attitude to gender, a surprising amount of pathos, and a Eurobeat number for a Nazi boyband (yes, really). It’s also packed with deliberate anachronisms, outrageous overacting and sheepishly knowing in-jokes. It’s an embodiment of the eccentric British exceptionalism it both celebrates and mocks” – Read the full review

Operation Mincemeat plays Fortune Theatre, London currently booking through to 15 August 2023.

Book Operation Mincemeat London tickets here »

About the author: Josh Darvill

Josh is Stageberry's editor with over five years of experience writing about theatre in the West End and across the UK. Prior to following his passion for musicals, he worked for more than a decade as a TV journalist.

 

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