REVIEW: Operation Mincemeat
By Paul Bromley, volunteer writer
I first came across the story of the successful wartime deception in the book The Man Who Never Was many years ago and the tale has stuck with me ever since.
The 2021 film version of Operation Mincemeat with Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen and Kelly Macdonald was a faithful retelling of the narrative.
This award-winning musical version sticks to the same basic plot but adds dollops of humour, songs, silliness, slapstick and fun.
Various reviewers have described the Operation Mincemeat musical as "Hamilton meets Noel Coward" or "Singin' in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train". I would say it was more like James Bond meets The Play That Goes Wrong, with elements of The Producers.
The musical opens with wartime radio broadcasts and Winston Churchill's declaration: "We will never surrender." The fate of the nation, we are told, lies in the hands of MI5.
Charles Cholmondeley (pronounced 'Chumley' and played by Seán Carey) is a diffident and nervous MI5 officer despite having worked there for six years. He comes up with a plot to fool the Germans by planting false plans on a dead British airman washed ashore in Spain to disguise the invasion of Sicily by persuading the Nazis the target is Sardinia.
"We are going to win this war with a magic trick - make the Germans disappear," the military intelligence team declare as they meticulously plan their bold and daring deception.
The staging is versatile and inventive. At first, it appears fairly basic with maps and plans filling the walls but the ingenuity of the set designers is soon revealed with hidden doors, telephones on long cables and characters appearing and disappearing at lightning speed. A tray is turned over to reveal a roulette wheel, a pair of curtains is held up for two people to walk through then immediately dispatched off-stage. Some of the quick changes of costume are spectacular.
There's glitz and glamour too with a touch of camp and kitsch - I loved the sparkly red glitter on the undertakers' black aprons to denote blood as the operatives search for a dead body to use in their ruse.
The finale is a multi-layered showstopper making full use of the depth and height of the stage ... it's wonderful!
It's great to have a live band performing but the sound balance seemed off for the first few numbers, particularly the ensemble cast songs, with the words difficult to hear. In a sense, it didn't matter because you picked up the gist of what was happening but it was a shame that the singing wasn't clearer. My companion made the same observation at the interval.
It soon settled down and the solo numbers were terrific. The highlight of the first half was Christian Andrews as the uptight but kindly secretary Hester Leggatt singing Dear Bill, a supposed love letter from the imaginary fiancée to the fictitious dead airman.
A darkened stage with a spotlight on the actor and soft piano music made this a plaintive cameo. It was also a rare theatrical moment: I wanted the song to keep going for as long as possible, such was its brilliance and poignancy, while simultaneously willing it to end to release the pent-up emotion and engender the thunderous round of applause which I and the rest of the audience were aching to provide.
The second half rattles along as the MI5 team wait to hear if their plan has worked.
There is a wonderfully choreographed and faultlessly performed scene involving two British and two Spanish representatives after the body has washed up. Tangled telephone cords, misappropriated hats and a briefcase become more and more knotted until a final and pleasing alignment. It made me smile with admiration.
The finale is a multi-layered showstopper making full use of the depth and height of the stage. The bareness of the stage setting for the first two hours and 20 minutes is given over to a last ten minutes of extravaganza and excess. It's wonderful!
There's a small cast - just five actors playing more than 80 different roles - but this is a big production.
It is pleasing that the show programme and a scene towards the end of the production acknowledge the true story and the real-life people involved including the homeless Welshman Glyndwr Michael whose body became 'Major William Martin' for the deception - hence the title 'The Man Who Never Was'.
Operation Mincemeat takes a slice of history and serves up a theatrical treat.
:: Operation Mincemeat runs at the Congress Theatre until Saturday 8 August. Tickets available here.
:: Paul Bromley is a qualified journalist and broadcaster who worked for 40 years for regional newspapers, the Press Association and Sky News. He now works in community rail. He is a volunteer writer with Eastbourne Reporter. Paul is a member of The Magic Circle and of the performers' union Equity.
