Twopenny Theatre

It’s 1943. Fascists have taken over mainland Europe. Allied forces are looking to establish a foothold on the island of Sicily. But how to get those pesky Nazis out of the way? Surely the boys at MI5 have an idea…

So begins Operation Mincemeat, a surprisingly compelling musical comedy based on a very real wartime ruse. The plan, concocted by intelligence officers Charles Cholmondeley (Seán Carey) and Ewen Montagu (Holly Sumpton), is to take a cadaver, dress him up like a crashed British pilot, stick false orders on him, and float him to the shores of Axis-sympathetic Spain. Of course, this very fake airman needs a name (Capt. William Martin) and a backstory, conveyed via receipts, identification, and love notes to a fiancée. It’s all a bit complicated – but Montagu’s sure the Germans will bite.

On stage, Operation Mincemeat complements this tale of deception with a shape-shifting production that always seems to have one more trick up its sleeve. Each of its five, excellent cast members plays multiple parts, deftly becoming characters of both sexes via quick changes, prop swaps, and mere adjustments of expression. Ben Stones’ set is a spy gadget in its own right, with actors popping out of new doors (and walls, and chalkboards) all the way through the show’s “dazzling grand finale”. Tonally, Mincemeat is also more than meets the eye – a sparkling comedy, but one with a sincere heart. It’s not afraid to face the losses of war with an honest eye, as in the elegiac “Dear Bill,” shortly before staging a send-up of Nazi ideology in the wacky Act II opener “Das Übermensch.” 

Overall, Mincemeat has a bucketful of catchy, dynamic tunes sung by actors who take turns stealing the stage. Quite a few of the tracks are fast-talking numbers filled with rollicking repartee and a fair bit of Hamilton DNA (at least one repeated rhythm in Mincemeat could be misheard as that show’s “My Shot.”) Others, such as the sea shanty “Sail on, Boys” carry meaty harmonies where the cast displays a sublime vocal blend. In worse hands, the constant variations could give you whiplash – but Mincemeat goes down incredibly smoothly, so much so that you almost forget how much work it must have been to layer it all together into a crisp, confident package.

The caveat to this polished production is that there is some streamlining and reconstruction going on. Based on the time elapsed since the operation and destruction of MI5 personnel files following the war, the full contributions of all involved is hard to know, especially that of secretaries Hester Legatt (Jonty Peach) and Jean Leslie (Claire-Marie Hall), who are portrayed here as having provided vital feedback for Cholmondeley and Montagu. Frankly, though, Mincemeat is hardly the worst offender when it comes to historical licence, and if anything what embellishments it makes are in service of a fundamentally truthful egalitarianism. It wasn’t just the maverick men of MI5 who fooled the Nazis, but also the support staff who helped create the Captain’s personal effects, the Navy sailors who carried out the mission, and Glyndwr Michael, the Welshman who in death became “William Martin”. If you pay attention, equity is a clear concern of the show’s creator’s (comedy troupe SpitLip) in the show and out of it. There’s a flat ticket price for each performance (not an awful deal at the compact Fortune Theatre), and despite many roles being double-cast, the entire company is on equal billing.

Operation Mincemeat has something for everyone – wartime drama, show-stopping ballads, several punchlines involving newt anatomy, and an indefatigable spirit. In more ways than one, it’s a testament to the fact that off-the-wall ideas can end out swimmingly when everyone plays their part. MI5’s mission might have been tough, but your mission is simple: go see Mincemeat.

Rating: 4.5/5

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