“The Brits have made the year’s funniest musical…Against the odds, the “Operation Mincemeat” gang has found its way to the big time.”
Peter Marks, The Washington Post
#1 2023 Theatre Show
“Despite all that Hollywood firepower, my top pick was a homegrown musical about the UK’s role in World War II”
Sarah Rappaport, Bloomberg
“a little show with a very big future”
David Benedict, Variety
“My far-and-away favorite production—and a complete surprise to me—was the musical “Operation Mincemeat… a comedy that has been cheerfully dismantling jingoism builds a stirring vision of real fellowship in its place.”
Helen Shaw, The New Yorker
“the feel-good West End musical of the summer… The reviews for the show have been ecstatic… the overwhelming impression is of hopefulness, expansiveness, possibility and joy.”
Alexis Soloski, The New York Times
74 ★★★★★ reviews and counting
Friday 15th November – Following back-to-back tenth and eleventh extensions at the West End’s Fortune Theatre and the announcement of Operation Mincemeat’s Broadway debut with the original cast at the Golden Theatre on 20th March 2025, ATG has now granted an incredible twelfth extension until 7thJune 2025 in London — its third announced within just two months.
Until 15th February, when Broadway previews begin, tickets will be available exclusively in London. After that, Operation Mincemeat will run simultaneously in both New York and London.
West End Extension tickets are available on General sale on Friday 29th November at 10am from the Official Box Office here. Broadway’s fan pre-sale is on Monday 18th November, ahead of the General on- sale on 20th November. More info and tickets here.
Following the success of the Monday ballot, it has now expanded to include Tuesday and Saturday shows to ensure tickets get into the right hands. Monday ticket prices remain frozen at £39.50, and the popular fortnightly £25 ticket lottery continues here. The first ballot draw for the new booking period from 21st April to 7th June 2025 will take place on Thursday 28th November at 2pm. Link here.
The announcement comes shortly after the release of the show’s Christmas schedule, which, for the first time, features a special New Year’s Eve event, The New Year’s Eve That Never Was. The celebration will involve bottomless drinks, including the iconic Sparkling Sangria, along with cheese and charcuterie boxes, plus other surprises, until 1 a.m.
Operation Mincemeat began as a tiny (and tiny-budgeted) production at the London Fringe New Diorama Theatre in 2019. The show quickly gained a devoted following, spurring sold-out runs at venues including Southwark Playhouse and Riverside Studios. It finally premiered in the West End on 9th May 2023 at the Fortune Theatre, where it won the Olivier and WhatsOnstage Awards® for ‘Best New Musical’, alongside garnering 74 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 a quartet of young British creatives after years of performing sketch shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and 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.
Operation Mincemeat entered its second year in London on the 13th May 2024 with a debut performance of the new cast, Emily Barber, Seán Carey, Chlöe Hart, Christian Andrews and Claire-Marie Hall , with George Jennings and Jonty Peach joining Holly Sumpton and Geri Allen to form the Company.
The year is 1943 and we’re losing the war. Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse.
Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Noel Coward meets Noel Fielding, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler?
The production is directed by 2023 Olivier Award nominated Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre – 2023 Best New Musical Olivier Award winner), following providing directorial support for the Riverside Studios run, while Olivier Award nominated Jenny Arnold (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) continues as Choreographer. Also from Standing at the Sky’s Edge at theNational Theatre on the creative team are: 2023 Olivier Award nominated Ben Stones (Sylvia, The Old Vic) as Set and Costume Designer, Tony Award, six-time Olivier Award and Bafta Award winning Mark Henderson (Girl From the North Country, Broadway & Noël Coward Theatre) as Lighting Designer and Olivier Award winning Mike Walker (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) as Sound Designer. Grammy Award winning and Tony, Emmy & 2024 ‘Outstanding Musical Contribution’ Olivier Award nominated Steve Sidwell (Beautiful: The Musical, Broadway & Aldwych Theatre) is Orchestrator and Vocal Arranger, while 2024 ‘Outstanding Musical Contribution’ Olivier Award nominated Joe Bunker is Musical Director. Georgie Staight is Associate Director and Paul Isaiah Isles is Associate Choreographer. Casting is by Pearson Casting. The extraordinary debut musical is written and composed by SpitLip – David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts.
Operation Mincemeat won the 2024 ‘Best New Musical’ and ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical’ Olivier Awards, following receiving six nominations. These awards trail winning the 2024 ‘Best New Musical’ WhatsOnStage Award and the ‘Best West End Show’, ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Best Understudy’ West End Wilma Awards. Previously on the show’s journey, Operation Mincemeat has picked up the Off-West End award for ‘Best Musical Production’ and ‘Best Company Ensemble’ and The Stage Debut Award for ‘Best Composer/Lyricist’.
Operation Mincemeat is produced in the West End and Broadway by Avalon (in association with SpitLip). The show was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by The Lowry, and also supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat.