Operation Mincemeat - Fortune Theatre

The underdog cements itself as a West End staple

Photography: Matt Crockett

★★★★★

Two years on from its opening night in London’s glitzy West End, the plucky Operation Mincemeat has firmly made a case for its continued occupation at the Fortune Theatre. Now open on Broadway to strong reviews and clamouring audience reactions, it feels ready to take the show to the rest of the world - a feat it attempts to do in 2026 and 2027. The original production is dazzling with its third cast recently installed, and there seems to be no stopping this homegrown spectacular. 

For those unaware, Mincemeat is the unlikely story of a World War Two covert mission to deceive the Nazis into moving their troops stationed in Sicily to neighbouring Sardinia to allow the allies an easier route back onto the continent and begin the liberation of Europe. This plan involved floating a corpse dressed as a military officer off the coast of Spain in the hopes that the Spanish authorities would share the forged documents accompanying the body with senior Nazi leaders. This madcap tale, it turns out, makes for a great musical comedy adventure that brims with heart as it explores the figures at the epicentre of this ludicrous scheme.

The Olivier-winning musical has had some new recruits assigned to tell this story, and boy, are they up to the task. As the brash Ewan Montagu, Alex Young is perfectly cast. She swaggers the stage with the confidence of a peacock in a room of pigeons, dishing out orders and demands whilst pulling a variety of amusing faces. Opposite Peter McGovern’s Charles Cholmondeley, she excels, counterbalancing his effervescent nervousness. McGovern is a scene stealer as Charles, in a way I have yet to see the role performed. He houses the non-stop anxiety of the character beautifully and allows it to burst out in comedic and heart-warming ways - a proper talent. 

Taking on the prestigious role of Hester is Danny Becker, who, like McGovern, has a fresh take on his character. Becker finds a fire within Hester that crackles and smokes as we learn more about her. During the beloved song Dear Bill, a song that still brings a tear to my eye despite hearing it many times before, Becker unveils a rawness that exposes old wounds that will never fully heal with a ferocity that elevates the emotion to a different level. The final newcomer to the show is Roshani Abbey. Stepping into the shoes of Jean Leslie, Abbey embodies her pluckiness and determination neatly and brings a strong vocal game to the show, sparring well with her fellow cast. Chlöe Hart rounds out the cast and returns for a second year as Johnny Bevan. Hart has fully settled into the role and expertly navigates her way through her track’s rapid lyrics, all whilst exuding a strong and commanding presence. As a collective, this ensemble is brilliantly balanced and the fun they are having infectiously flows from the stage.

Despite justifiably asked questions around the show’s ticket pricing - the producers opting to charge a single price of every single seat, making the cost of entry to the show far steeper than most - the show continues to enjoy packed out audiences and looks well set for the UK leg of its world tour next year. It is hard not to feel pride in seeing Mincemeat go from strength to strength, and it was nice too to see the show enjoy a few costume and design upgrades, presumably in line with its sister production on Broadway. 

If there are no fans left of Operation Mincemeat, it means that I am dead. Long may it reign in the West End. 

Currently booking until 28th February 2026 - Tickets

Photography - Matt Crockett