REVIEW: Operation Mincemeat at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Operation Mincemeat

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until Saturday 27 June 2026

Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical brought its first-ever UK tour to Newcastle Theatre Royal this week. The production, written and composed by the SpitLip collective (Dobby Cow, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts), is a comedic spy musical rooted in one of the Second World War's most audacious deception operations. Newcastle audiences have been gifted a rare opportunity to see a show that has spent years building one of the most devoted fanbases in contemporary musical theatre, and this touring cast rises to the occasion with considerable skill and heart.

The journey of Operation Mincemeat from fringe curiosity to global phenomenon is one of the more unlikely stories in recent British theatre. It began life as a small-scale production at the New Diorama Theatre in London in 2019, performed on a shoestring budget for audiences of no more than 77 people. Word spread quickly, and sold-out runs at Southwark Playhouse and Riverside Studios followed before the show transferred to the Fortune Theatre in the West End in May 2023. It missed out on appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe as they planned to do it in 2020, and we all know what happened that year. Since then it has accumulated an Olivier Award for Best New Musical, four Tony Award nominations on Broadway, and a string of five-star reviews that have made it, by some measures, the best-reviewed show in West End history. This first UK tour marks the next chapter for a production that has proven, over and again, that its appeal stretches well beyond the London theatre bubble.

The story the musical tells is, on its face, almost too strange to be true. It is 1943, and the Allied Forces are attempting to plan an invasion of southern Europe without alerting Nazi Germany to their precise intentions. The solution devised by British intelligence is startling: to dress the body of a recently deceased man as a Royal Marines officer, plant false documents on his person, and allow him to wash ashore in neutral Spain in the hope that the Germans will intercept the papers and be deceived about where the invasion is headed. Within the first twenty minutes, the audience is introduced to this premise through sharp comic exposition, meeting the real-life figures of Charles Cholmondeley and Ewen Montagu, the intelligence officers tasked with making the scheme work. The show makes clear from the outset that it intends to play the absurdity of the situation for maximum comedic effect, while also acknowledging the genuine human cost of war. A young Ian Fleming also appears early on, adding a knowing layer of spy-fiction self-awareness that sets the tone beautifully.

The touring cast carries this material with real assurance. Seán Carey as Charles Cholmondeley and Holly Sumpton as Ewen Montagu anchor the show with a fine comic rapport, their contrasting energies complementing each other throughout. Carey brings a physical comedy and warmth to Cholmondeley that makes him immediately likeable, while Sumpton's Montagu carries a quietly exasperated wit that earns consistent laughs without ever straining for them. Both performers demonstrate the kind of comedic timing that can only come from genuine confidence in the material and a clear understanding of their characters.

Christian Andrews and Jamie-Rose Monk contribute notably across multiple roles, both actors embodying the show's ensemble spirit with commitment and versatility. Andrews in particular displays an ease with the show's more farcical moments, navigating rapid character switches with precision. Charlotte Hanna-Williams, making her professional debut in this production, holds her own with impressive composure, and it is genuinely exciting to see a performer of her evident talent at such an early stage of her career. The cast as a whole manage the not inconsiderable challenge of making the audience laugh while also persuading them to genuinely care about the outcome of a plan most will already know the ending of (especially if they've seen the movie).

The true story at the heart of the show turns out to be thoroughly entertaining material for a musical, and SpitLip's songs do an excellent job of driving the plot forward without ever allowing the pace to slacken. Numbers arrive at precisely the right moments to clarify relationships, establish stakes, or simply celebrate the sheer improbability of what is unfolding on stage. The writing is sharp and consistently funny, but it also respects the intelligence of its audience, trusting them to hold the emotional and historical threads together even as the comedy escalates. The result is a show that moves quickly and purposefully, never outstaying its welcome and never losing sight of why the story matters.

The second act sees the production's lighting design (Mark Henderson) go up a gear during the number Das Ubermensch, a sequence performed from the German perspective. The lighting here shifts the visual palette of the entire show, deploying dramatic colour as the back of the stage wall lights up, and a heightened theatricality that signals clearly to the audience that the stakes have risen. The contrast with the warmer, more cluttered look of the British intelligence office scenes earlier in the evening is well-judged and effective. Couple this with the tight direction (Robert Hastie) and choreography (Jenny Arnold) and this show moved up a gear in the second act. No wonder the cast got a well deserved standing ovation at the end, and yes, even I was on my feet for this one. The live band, under the musical direction of Sam Sommerfield, deserves a mention. The musicianship throughout is tight and attentive, supporting the cast with a sound that is full without overwhelming the lyrics, and responsive to the shifting tones the show demands from scene to scene. It was a small disappointment that the band remained out of sight for the duration of the performance, tucked away where the audience could hear but not see them. Their visibility at curtain call, when they received a warm and well-deserved round of applause, was a reminder of the craft that had been quietly underpinning everything all evening. Audiences who appreciate live musicianship in musical theatre will want to know it is in very good hands here.

Operation Mincemeat is a show that rewards an audience willing to meet it on its own terms, and this production makes that a very easy thing to do. It is witty, genuinely moving in places, and performed with the kind of collective energy that suggests a company who believe in what they are making. Having seen it this week, I would gladly see it again, and would encourage anyone in the North East who has not yet taken the opportunity to do so before the run closes on Saturday. It is precisely the sort of show that reminds you why we love live theatre.

Review: Stephen Oliver

Photos: Matt Crockett

Tickets:

Operation Mincemeat plays Newcastle Theatre Royal in June 2026. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.