North American Tour Company of Operation Mincemeat | Photo by Matthew Murphy
Sometimes it takes a while for a show’s energy to align with my own. Perhaps the opening beats just aren’t especially strong. Both of these circumstances conspired to keep me, for most of its first act, at a fairly cool distance from Operation Mincemeat—a North American tour, presented by Mirvish, of the breakout musical about an acclaimed, yet decidedly offbeat, World War II mission. Sound mix issues also contributed significantly to my detachment by obscuring ensemble vocals while the story is setting up its characters and their mission (also the show’s most underwhelming content). Once the intrepid team had assembled, though, and their venture was underway, the audio and material sorted themselves out and I suddenly found myself enthusiastically enlisted!
The plot concerns a British Intelligence mission to deceive the German military establishment about the location of an allied forces invasion by placing phoney “sensitive” documents on a dead body they’ve dressed up as crashed American pilot. Predominantly a farce, the shenanigans include: sourcing the body, mocking up the fake intel, and a series of obstacles, pratfalls, double-agent rumours and romantic tensions.
The book and songs—written by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts—are a persuasive blend of wacky antics and contemplative sentiment. The clever writing and schticky artifice of Robert Hastie’s direction elegantly fuse traditional British Music Hall vibes with contemporary pop and rap. So much historical detail is crammed into the zany scenario and Jenny Arnold’s choreography adds campy charm. It’s tremendous fun yet also packs a few emotional wallops.
Ben Stones’ set is a towering, abstracted depiction of an underground bunker with a massive war plotting table as backdrop. As the production progresses, the aesthetics get increasingly fanciful and flamboyant. The gaudy theatricality really ramps up during the second act as schematic grid lines pop out in garish colour, enhanced by lighting designer Mark Henderson’s increasingly flashy flourishes. I was especially tickled by some ghoulishly glitzy costuming by Stones as a dance number is sent over-the-top with patches of blood and gore that are, uh, sparkly!
The ensemble does double, triple and sometimes quadruple duty portraying all manner of central and supporting characters. Jake Bentley Young is adorably nebbish as the servile mastermind behind the operation, Charles Cholmondeley. As his bombastically over-confident partner, Ewen Montague, Katie Kleiger is an endearingly obnoxious foil. Much of the first act revels in their odd couple dynamic. While she portrays Ian Fleming (yes, there are James Bond jokes aplenty!) with a certain fiery aplomb, my favourite portrayal here by Mariah Copeland is her turn as Francis Haselden (a British contact in Spain) who gets entangled in a series of deliciously comic phone business as wires are crossed during the Spanish authorities’ interception of the staged body.
Luke Antony Neville & Erin Ramirez in North American Tour Company of Operation Mincemeat | Photo by Matthew Murphy
The standouts for me, in regard to emotional investment, were Luke Antony Neville as Hester Leggatt and Erin Ramirez as Jean Leslie—two women fighting the good fight to be “Useful” (one of my favourite numbers) amidst the stifling bluster of the men in their sphere.
The first proper feels came for me the understated poignancy of “Dear Bill,” where the prim and dutiful Hester (Neville in sincere, rather than jokey, drag), much to her cohorts’ surprise, takes over the crafting of a sham love letter. Taking its sweet time, the song is worth every one of its six minutes as she conveys the mundane details that sell the illusion of a life. As she dictates, we gradually realize she’s drawing on her own experience. It is a quintessential sort of anthem for one of the show’s most powerful themes—Mincemeat isn’t simply about selling a ruse, lives are on the line and real humanity is being invested in this operation.
The sea shanty “Sail On, Boys” is another heartfelt and quietly rousing number that has lodged itself in my psyche. There is a stirring reprise of it in “A Glitzy Finale” (after a truly spectacular bit of outrageous theatrical hoopla) where the man who became the body—Glyndwr Michael, a homeless Welshman—is given his proper due.
While I struggled to enjoy the first two thirds of this show—arguably the weakest material—once the introductory stuff was out of the way, I found Operation Mincemeat sharp, giddy and wildly compelling. Also, seeing a handful of veterans in uniformed attendance brought a lump to my throat as I imagine this hits most intensely for them.
Operation Mincemeat
October 27 to December 13, 2026
Royal Alexandra Theatre
(260 King St West)
2 hours, 35 minutes (includes intermission)
North American Tour Company of Operation Mincemeat | Photo by Matthew Murphy